Michel Issaly - Domaine de La Ramaye - Gaillac, France
The great man himself in his vineyard on our first visit in 2011. A central Michel Issaly theme for attaining the high quality and clear individuality of all his wines is his diligence in the vineyard. The photo shows the full plant growth between the vines with a wholly natural, vibrant and ALIVE mini-ecosystem his grapes thrive in.)
TIMELINE/CALENDRIER
2002- we hear great things about michel issaly and his gaillac-based "domaine de la ramaye". we find none of his wines in america.
2003- we contact michel issaly and get no reply. we find a bottle of his wine in paris. blows us away... we ain't messin’ around anymore.
2004- we contact michel issaly and get no reply.
2005- we contact michel issaly and get no reply. someone who may NOT know says he won't export his wines.
2006- we contact michel issaly and get no reply. we get a second, different bottle in france and it is absurdly good... even though the grapes in the wine are household names only in gaillac (map below).
2007- we contact michel issaly and he gently says he has no wine to sell.
2008- we ask michel issaly again and he still has no wine to sell - it is sold out before it is bottled.
2009- we ask michel issaly once more and he has no wine to sell.
2009- we are in france. we find ourselves about two hours away from gaillac on other business. we shift a few visits and take off in the opposite direction and drive the two hours, which of course turns into nearly three hours. we cant find his "domaine de la ramaye". we have been on every road out of gaillac except one. yes, we find it on the last road, and only after we passed it as we were heading back (the sign on the road faces the other way). we drive into a tiny parking area to a greeting from large barking dogs. no one answers the doorbell. we are severely tempted to break in. we dont. we are upset. after a half hour we leave business cards and our e&r wine explorer newsletter. we drive off and decide on a quick lunch on the way back. afterward, before the long, disappointing return drive, we take one last swing by and voila! the dogs are there again. we ring the bell and this time a skeptical-looking woman opens the door. we do the typical international floundering with who we are and why we are there and so on. we are clearly getting nowhere. no, we are getting somewhere- getting ready to get thrown out! suddenly from the back room: enter michel issaly! we know it's him because we have seen his photograph. when he understands we are the crazed americans that were there earlier he invites us in. further explaining our now 7+ years quest, we chat for maybe twenty minutes, buy a half a case of wine for the road and suggest maybe... some... time... we can buy some SMALL amounts of domaine de la ramaye wine for oregon. he shrugs with a quarter smile saying he has no wine to sell. we leave as nicely as we can....2009- we taste three more of his wines. they are sensational. this is the kind of thing that drives us nuts.
2010- we contact michel issaly and he has no wine to sell (and still sells no wine in america).
2010- we contact michel issaly to tell him we tasted the wines we bought in 2009 and saying we thought they were spectacular.
2011- we contact michel issaly, remind him of our previous visit and tastes and inquiries and ask if we can visit his winery on our upcoming trip. he says yes. YES? YES?? we agree to 9 am, july 22
2011- july 22: the story continues further down below. come through the door and catch us inside in a bit....
(from our original article in 2011)
Friends----
France is a BIG country,
They've got wine regions all over the place...
Often wine is about comfort zones. Oh, the many ruts we slip into without notice, then we go on vacation and live a little.
With these new wines, take a step out and live a little- they're delicious and great- you'll be glad you did.
Michel Issaly is a master, assuredly. He makes wine in Gaillac with its superstar local grapes Mauzac, Duras, Braucol, Oundenc, Prunelard and Len de L'el.
Michel's Domaine de la Ramaye wines stand apart.
If you don't know the region or the wines, don't worry, most Americans don't! These are wines not to fear, but truly to enjoy.
We ask you to come along on a little photo & written trip of discovery with us. These wines ain't never been nowhere near Oregon!
Come with us (!) and recall what Shakespeare wrote which we apply to this trip of discovery:
And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
-Hamlet to his best friend after seeing his father's ghost
GAILLAC, THE PLACE
Have a look at where Gaillac is located, center far right side of the map. A few things stand out - it is not as most folks assume in the Dordogne (which does include Bergerac and, just barely, Cahors). Gaillac has nothing to do with Bordeaux and doesn't want anything to do it with it. Gaillac is not influenced by the Atlantic Ocean or the Pyrenees Mountains. France's famed Massif Central has a greater impact on Gaillac's distinctly continental climate. The closest well-known town is Toulouse.
Vines go back a long, long way in Gaillac. Wines were made in this part of old Gaul at least two hundred years before Caesar's reign. A part of the Tarn Valley above Toulouse, "Gaillac" translates as "fertile land" and its profoundly rich soil explains why, as it is a paradise for fruit and vegetable. Unlike more famous grapes like Cabernet, Chardonnay, Syrah or Pinot noir, the indigenous grapes mentioned above express themselves here like nowhere else on earth and they are nowhere else on earth. This helps explain why they are unknown to us in the States.
Small sections of this zone are inundated with special soil deposits that this petit plot of Gaul become noted for. More recently, MANY grape growers have removed their Mauzac, Braucol, Len de L'el and other locals in favor of more widely known, easier to sell, "higher production" grapes like Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc (70% of Gaillac wines are white) Syrah and Merlot. Michel Issaly has done the opposite. No follower of fashion or seeker of the easy sale, Issaly prides his winery on the local grapes. Yet he is not fool hardly and has planted a small section of his tiny vineyard land with several dozen types of grapes to learn about them and see how they perform there.
Issaly and his wife are serious food fans too, farming many other fruits and vegetables for their small, well known Gaillac restaurant "Vigne en Foule" (go there, its superb! www.vigneenfoule.fr ) which features local recipes to match the area wines. Michel's website www.michelissaly.com has a few recipes!) One final note on the Gaillac wine area - it's a part of the French region of Midi-Pyrenees and Gaillac is both the wine appellation and a small town of about 12,275. The AOC of Gaillac contains only about 10,000 widely scattered acres of vines, is a mere thirty miles across, and is split by the Tarn River. EJ Gallo has 50% more acres of vines in California alone.
GAILLAC, THE LAND AND THE GRAPES
The Gaillacois are proud of their special soils in the ridge of a sweep of the Tarn Valley. One unique feature in their vineyards is a type of geologic deposit called "molasse puddingstones" - a conglomeration of limestone wedges, chalk, pebbles and sand.
In the same zone there is also clay, sandstone and loads of pebbles left from the glaciers in the last Ice Age. The Romans used the deposits to make amphorae and afterwords the locals also made many brickstones for building the foundations of a number of churches. Nature has its way of marrying unique soils to specific grapes and the expressions of the grapes. The small appellation of Gaillac appears to be the lone spot on planet earth in which the main grapes Gaillac is becoming known for produce extraordinary wine singular to its soil and to Michel Issaly, its finest winemaker. The grapes that Michel works with for the five wines we have purchased are the three reds called Duras, Braucol (aka Fer Servadou) and Prunelard, while the two whites are Mauzac and Len de L'El.
DURAS
At one time - long long ago - this was the most famous red grape of Gaillac. It gained more fame than any Bordeaux wines! Duras was kept in barrels for eight years and then held in bottles for another twelve more years before being sold; "new" releases were twenty years old! Not related in any way to the wines of Cotes-du-Duras, this varietal is the oldest in the Tarn Valley and enjoys its delicious flavor from the combination of the region's pebbles, chalk and red sandstone. Throughout much of the early and mid 1900s, Duras was being pulled out the vineyards of Gaillac in record amounts (which, easy for us to say, was a travesty). Beginning in the eighties - thanks to the efforts of a few winemakers like Michel - Duras saw a kind of revival as it became understood that it was not just a true expression of the terroir of Gaillac, but that it is a grape that only performs its magic in the tiny sector of the appellation of Gaillac. Nowhere else in the SW of France, or in any of France, is it grown with as much character and expression. A nearly black-skinned grape, it provides deep color to the wines along its powerful structure and full-bodied nature. Domaine de la Ramaye uses Duras in one of its red wines called "La Combe D'Aves".
BRAUCOL
In Gaillac, this black-colored grape is called Braucol or Brocol, we will stick with Michel's use as Braucol. Like Duras, it too is only seen in the French Southwest. Some is planted to the north of Gaillac in nearby Marcilliac where it is called either "Fer" or "Fer Servadou," and a little is also farmed in Madiran. Braucol is cool! It is beyond dark in color, with sturdy tannins and spice; characteristics when blended into a wine have their obvious voice. Michel uses Braucol in three of the wines we offer below: his "La Combe D'Aves", "Le Grand Tertre" and the new wine "Le Braucol Gaillac Rouge". In the past, as with Duras, some winemakers had been pulling out their Braucol in favor of more popular grapes, but as is so often the case with indigenous grapes, they were there for a reason (we can easily make correct or incorrect assumptions on this kind of thing). It took someone with the requisite vision and persistence to ultimately find the ways it ought to be farmed and utilized in the wine. In this case, Michel and a few others have discovered that Braucol brings traits no other grapes bring and those elements contribute to making the wines of the small region not only better, but unique to wine anywhere in the world. It is a part of the Gaillacois wine's identity. More on this with the wines themselves below.
PRUNELARD
On the edge of extinction, this darker-colored grape, found only in the Gaillac region has been making a kind of comeback, more or less. Back in the 16th century, it was considered one the best of all grapes until phylloxera destroyed the vineyards of Gaillac. Only recently was it discovered growing in a few places in the wild and a few growers began to resuscitate it! Once again, a little bit of something unique was barely protected from leaving the planet for good. Not long ago, some French genetic studies declared Prunelard one of the parent grapes of the famed Malbec of nearby Cahors (which more recently has been finding a foothold in Argentina). The other half of the Malbec's parents is the now extinct "Magdeleine de Noire des Charentes" grape. Luckily, the Prunelard, while not exactly thriving, is for now at least surviving. It takes its name in part for a resemblance to the plum in shape and color and has a noted dusty tint over the more deeply black/purple of the grape skin. For the moment it is not an allowed grape in the Gaillac AOC; it seems certain that such a serious omission will be rectified and Prunelard will be restored to its rightful place as a singular grape of Gaillac. It is noted for its ability to bring structure and aroma to the wines and Michel uses it in his remarkable "Le Grand Tertre" red.
MAUZAC
Mauzac Blanc is the key indigenous white grape of Gaillac and its most well known. Like the three local reds above, Mauzac, noted for its delectable perfume and spice, fell out of favor for many local growers. It is notoriously difficult to farm and plenty of growers got fed up with its challenges and planted Semillon and Sauvignon in place of it. Only since the eighties, with Michel and a few other producers dedicated to maintaining a central part of the unique character of Gaillac's truly original wines helping to revive it, has Mauzac begun to be respected and honored as one of France's native originals. A defining aspect of Mauzac is its brilliant acidity, lending freshness and life to the wines. Mauzac is most famous for its role in the sparkling wines of nearby Limoux where it is called "Blanquette", and it is one of seven white grapes allowed in the production of Bordeaux whites. Michel Issaly uses Mauzac in "Les Cavailles Bas", a dry white, as well as his incredible and rare "Le Vin de L'Oubli".
LEN de L’EL
Great name, eh? The Len de L'el grape is found only in the small confines of the Gaillac appellation and even so, it still has a number of similar sounding pseudonyms. The wild name translates to "far from the sight of the eye", which is due to the fact the grape bunches are further removed from the mother vine than normal. While it has always had limited production in Gaillac wine making, it too, like the others, has been finding an upsurge in popularity as well as increased expression of complexity and individuality in the hands of passionate and concerned farmers. Len de L'el produces powerful wine, but growing it is difficult and it is quite susceptible to rot in the fall without proper conditions allowing for good ventilation; ie, more work for the grower and another reason to plant grapes that are easier to grow, even at the great risk of losing the real and genuine identity that the rare Gaillac soils and history allow for there - and only there. Domaine de la Ramaye uses Len de L'el in their "Les Cavailles Bas" white, a wine worth the patience in the vineyards.
If this list of unknown grapes does not have you running for the exit; damn it (can we say that?), then good, because sometimes the strangest grape experiences can help comprise some of life's greatest moments of tasting pleasure. That is what we came away with from our three and a half hours with Michel last July. As you read through the details of these five now slightly more well-known grapes (!), you see the same story with each one. The tale is familiar: the grapes are unknown, they are hard to farm, and the market beyond Gaillac is not interested anymore. Other grapes are in demand. Other grapes are easier to grow and sell. And, how easy it was becoming to trade the uniqueness of the place to be like everywhere else. This is a story worth supporting; these grapes: each is a Gaillac original; each performs its best in the particular soils of the thirty mile or so stretch making up the AOC of Gaillac; each was on the very edge of being removed from the ground entirely and forever (one was thought to be). Together they combine to portray what the place is, what the taste of Gaillac wine IS - it is special, and it is one-of-a-kind. The wines are dynamic and show the terroir not of "SW France" or the Dorgdogne, but of Gaillac; just Gaillac.
Michel Issaly and his winemaking
The cheerfully serious Michel greets us with a smile and says " first, let's go to the vineyard!". He is a stern master of his vines and works organically in concert with his farm, which includes a variety of fruits and vegetables beside his 11 acres of nearby vines. The ground, the dirt, the soil, is absolutely critical. Michel works to create a near complete ecosystem within the tiny Domaine Ramaye holdings. Issaly knows that the health of the grapes - which translates to the quality and complexity of the wines - is maximized by being dependent on all the parts of the vineyard. The particulars of why which grapes were planted in which soils and what vineyard exposures are best, was and is paramount. Michel was quick to show us a kind of "who is who" (or "what is what") of the over forty herbs he has growing between the vines. His vineyards have none of that lovely barren ground you see in photos of picturesque settings of vines equaling depleted life - plowed by tractors and doused with chemicals and unnatural fertilizers. Michel explains specific herbs attract or deter particular insects or pests - all by nature - and there is no need to worry. The experience in farming dozens of other crops helps with the adding to the lifeblood of his vines. Issaly, in his variation of flip-flip slippers, leads us through the vines kneeling here and there to explain.
He states his philosophy:
"The genius of the wine is in the plant, but its expression comes about if the roots can express the minerality of the soil. The vine will dig down and free the darkness of the bedrock in aromatic brightness. It is the variability of the climate each year that allows the vintage to focus and express the heart and soul of the wine. The true essence of the wine is aesthetic, at the edge of the arts. Like the painter, the soul of the man who managed this union can produce a wine showing the richness and harmony of the land it is produced from."
Since its start in 1847, the Issaly family, farming in the area called the "fields of Ramaye," has culminated in the current production of some of the finest and most compelling wines anywhere across all the appellations of France. His tireless work in his vines, and within their rhythms by the days and lunar cycles, along with his conviction of producing wine as naturally as possible (he uses TINY amounts of sulfur), has created truly special results. On a level playing field, based solely on quality, the Domaine de la Ramaye wines stand with any we know of in terms of quality related to price. Add to this the fact we've been able to bring Michel's wines direct from his door in Gaillac to our door in Portland, increasing their already significant value. If these same wines were from Bordeaux, or California, or.... they would be more expensive for certain.
We can understand Michel has regret in his heart when he speaks of his grandfather and how, since his days to now, things have spiraled away from individuality and true expression of individual terroir and tradition. It is no wonder with his dedication and character, he serves as the long time President of the "Vignerons Indépendants de France".
Team E&R has pursued Michel’s wines for nearly a decade making arrangements to bring them to America for the first time in about ten years. Oregon is the only one of our fifty states to import Michel's wines. His production is tiny and it's doubtful much more of his wine could come to America anyway.
We are positively thrilled to offer these highly sought-after, lovely and wholly individual wines. As Mick sang, "it's a gas, gas gas!"
"You have the right not to like this wine. Because it is the opposite of wines which are vinified technology to please everybody."
-Michel Issaly
MICHEL ISSALY, VIGNERON INDEPENDENT: THE WINES
"You have the right not to like this wine. Because it is the opposite of wines which are vinified technology to please everybody."
-michel issaly
Listed below are wines that we’ve carried in the past.
DOMAINE DE LA RAMAYE "LES CAVAILLES BAS GAILLAC BLANC" 2009
Over the years, Michel has crafted a beautiful white blend of brilliant gold-tinged color from the tiny clay and limestone-rich "Les Cavailles Bas" vineyard, near the Domaine de la Ramaye. He thinks his wonderful 2009 vintage is perfectly executed. The fresh '09 is a blend of 80% Mauzac and 20% Len de L'el from vines aggressively pruned to lower the yields and concentrate the wine to maximize its expression of place. Issaly not only prunes several times during the growing season, he also prunes in the winter to lower bud production. The grapes are all harvested by hand, sorted by hand, and then vinified separately in cement tanks. Sometimes, when you taste a wine... it tells you things: about its origin and about its place, you can feel, sense and taste it. Domaine de la Ramaye's 2009 "Les Cavailles Bas" is full of confidence; you can tell it wants to please you as it shouts out its singularity. Sounds nutty? Taste it! Here are our notes- verbatim- from our July 22, 2011 tasting with Michel. (You can see the bottle in the photo below the next wine on the far right.) "killer juice. rich, mineral, dry fruit, pure, lively, long. keeps moving from start to finish! skerk-like in its range and depth, dry. rock. loooong. very cool wine. in cement tanks." This elegant and young (now) "Les Cavailles Bas" is aged in older barrels. Michel suggests drinking it anywhere from six to seven years from the harvest. He also feels it is best, after chilling, to decant just before serving, and tells us it will marry well with "river fish, white meats in sauce and cheeses," among other things. He produced about 2900 bottles in 2009, and we got 120 of them.
$21.00/$18.00/$16.80
DOMAINE DE LA RAMAYE "LA COMBE d'AVES GAILLAC ROUGE" 2006
Michel lined up three different vintages for us of his red blend "La Combe d'Aves" to "see the evolution" of the wine. As we taste and talk, he speaks of the connection and "repeated gestures" over time of his ancestors. He talks about their work and the accumulated knowledge they gained and how it is linked to the land. "Technology has made us lose touch with the natural environment. The soul of the wine is the soul of nature, its truth is from the soil. Heady stuff... but when you recall that both of the two grapes in this 50-50 red blend, Braucol and Duras, were nearly totally ripped from planet earth's ground forever, it gives pause. As for the wine, it gives thrills; it rocks! Lovely and lively, this recently released 2006 is beautiful. The 2006 "La Combe d'Aves" was aged in five-year-old barrels for thirty-two months (!) after a fair amount of time in cement tank (see photo of Issaly's classic red and white cement tanks toward the bottom of this message) the way it used to be done. "La Combe d'Aves" shows what genuine Gaillac is: hints of leather, black fruit, stone and spice with an edgy, gamy, earthy cloak and extraordinary balance. "La Combe d'Aves" matches perfectly with red meats, hearty stews, roasts and grilled meats. Well stored bottles will drink extremely well for a decade with little trouble, except possibly your ability to keep your stash untouched.
$25.00/$22.00/$20.00
DOMAINE DE LA RAMAYE "LE GRAND TERTRE GAILLAC ROUGE" 2010The first Domaine de la Ramaye bottling we tasted years ago was this one. That gripping memory stayed with us - a kind of holy relic of taste history - and was one of the most interesting wines we'd had in a decade. The flavors were decidedly different than anything we'd had before and we loved it. Years later, a second bottle from another vintage was enormously enjoyable and maintained the high standard of those older memories, so tasting the brand new 2010 with Michel was a thrill. In the vineyard earlier that day he told us that 2009 and 2010 were exceptional vintages (the 2009 was long gone), thus our anticipation for this 90% Prunelard and 10% Braucol blend energized us even more leading up to tasting it with Michel in his evocative tasting room in Gaillac. Vibrant and powerful, its "saturated black fruit" lushness holds a clue to its evolution. The 2010, aged in concrete for nine months, is a generous, focused red with harmonious complexity and real depth at this very early part of its life. Its power tantalizes to try to see into the future to guess how great the 2010 "Le grand Tertre" could be. This is one of those rare young wines which posses it own unique resonance. Bordering on opaque, with dark brooding color, it gives a hint of its youthful tannic structure in the glass. This 2010 "Le Grand Tertre" will need a few hours decanting. Several times during our conversations, Michel lamented his small production and that he had so little to sell to his best customers, let alone us! When he told us "Le Grand Tertre" accounts for less than 10% percent of his measly total winery production of 15,000 bottles (1250 cases for the world), our hearts sunk and turned as black as the wine. However...Michel must have liked us: Team E&R was able to get five cases! Yay!
$39.00/$33.50/$31.20
DOMAINE DE LA RAMAYE "LE BRAUCOL GAILLAC ROUGE" 2010
Michel's first vintage of this 100% Braucol was 2009, it was crazy good. This is more complete.
4 bottle limit. $70.00/$61.00/$56.00
DOMAINE DE LA RAMAYE "LE VIN de L'OUBLI" 2000
Perhaps it is cruel to place a one bottle limit on any wine (?), but we do so much want you to know about this integral part of Domaine de la Ramaye and Gaillac itself, that even with only 12 bottles to offer what options do we really have? Here he have something rather unique, even from a whole set of unique wines. After tasting his lone sweet wine (none available for North America this time), Michel reminds us of Mauzac's production going back at least to the tenth century when it was it was often produced as a sweet wine and pulls out his last wine for us to taste; his "Le Vin de L'Oubli", or wine of oblivion. The special "flattened pear shaped" bottle is corked and sealed with a wax top that Michel hinsef puts on each of the 900 bottles produced from the 2000 vintage. "Le Vin de L'Oubli" is placed in fifteen year old barrels where, like Arbois' Vin Jaune, it ages for nearly eight years. The barrels are not topped off and after about two years a layer of yeasty "flor" develops covering the wine in the lower part of the barrels. Over time about a third of the wine evaporates leaving this dry, potent Madeira-like masterpiece, after which is is bottled and aged for a few more years. "Le Vin de Oubli" is incredibly fresh, long and lively. It will age longer than any of us may need to be concerned about.
A LITTLE E&R PHOTO GALLERY
(michel's classic old red and white cement tanks)
(serious business)
(DO NOT get out the mower!!)
(OUR braucol 2010!)
(it's all in the earth)
When in stock, wines from this producer appear below. Click each wine for more detail.