Located in the Vouvray appellation, the vineyards are close to the city of Tours and its numerous castles.
The Vouvray appellation is located on the right bank of the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The appellation is located east of Tours and covers 2,200 hectares in 7 communes. We contributed to the development of the vineyards in the region, the introduction of Chenin Blanc in Saint Martin and the founding of the Abbaye de Marmoutier.
The topsoil of the vineyard is a clay silex soil called Perruche, and a clay limestone soil mixed with pebbles called Aubuis, and the bedrock is tufa (chalk containing muscovite).
The Domaine has a large, double-storey underground cellar measuring 800 metres, and is the pride of a family that is passionate about their work and eager to share their know-how. All winemaking is carried out on-site, and the cellars are where the still wines and crémant are stored and aged before being shipped. <History>
The history of the Domaine began in 1914 when 2 hectares of vineyards and 20 hectares of grain fields were taken over by barrel maker François Gaillard and his wife Aimée Duchamp, daughter of a winegrower from Parçay-Meslay.
François Gaillard acquired wine cellars and barns, and his business flourished. From 1937 onwards, the white wines gained recognition and were sent to the Tours and Paris wine tastings. In April 1939, his daughter Geneviève Gaillard married Gustave Gilet, the youngest son of Ernest Gilet, a winegrower from Parsay-Mesrey. In 1946, Gérard, the eldest, joined the family, and in 1951, Bernard, the youngest, joined them. In 1954, the cellars were expanded to two levels, and many vineyards were purchased, mainly in Rochecorbon. In 1959, the first sparkling wine made in the village by secondary fermentation in bottle was a great success, and the white wines could be expanded. In 1990, an automated line for labelling was installed. In 2001, Jean-Marc Gilet, Gerard's son, took over the Domaine. In 2008, they released Brutextra, a wine with extremely fine bubbles that is released after a second fermentation in the bottle and 24 months of aging. Jean-Marc has faithfully inherited the family spirit and continues to develop the Domaine.
We have been rooted in this land for a long time, and inherited the belief that in pursuit of wine quality, vines should be cultivated with modern techniques. For more than 10 years, we have been adhering to this belief and striving for healthier agricultural practices, contributing to environmental protection and the preservation of the global environment. 27 hectares on earth is a small amount, but we think it is important. Although organic cultivation requires a lot of effort, we are proud of the fact that we can now produce more natural and high-quality wines. Our environmental efforts extend to the selection of raw materials. We carefully select our suppliers, taking into account not only the innovation and quality of the ingredients, but also their origin.
We have always preferred Made in France, and marketing is also important, so I have been a member of Vignerons Indépendants for over 20 years and I advocate direct trade.
In order to constantly evolve, we are actively working to obtain the French environmental certification HVE (Haute Valeur Environmental). To achieve this, we promote the conservation of natural resources and systems (biodiversity conservation: insects, trees, hedges, grasslands, flowers, water resource management), farm independence, increasing the added value of products, reducing energy consumption, and reducing the use of pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc.).