A country full of contrasts
Located in the foothills of the Pyrenees; at the crossroads of the Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, lies Roquetaillade, a little Languedoc village, swept by, the “cers” and the “marin”. Thanks to this specific situation, the terroir of Roquetaillade has great potential for producing wine of distinction.
After several experiences in differents renowned wine areas we decided to come back to Roquetaillade, the village of our childhood where we grow vines on a very small parcel of the family land (about 4 hectares), in order to do everything ourselves and master all aspects of the production ( 1 ha of Pinot Noir and 3 ha of Chardonnay).
Our parcel of land is situated 400 metres up in the hills. Most of it was planted and grafted 35 years ago.
Observing, going on, being opened with modernism
Far from any ideology or dogma, we are working in harmony with nature. We respect its cycles; technique and execution always come after careful observation.
We are convinced that we must reinvent an agriculture which is at one with nature, develop the knowhow, but, under no circumstance should we return to the past.
Arising out of the current dominant way of thinking, perhaps we will look like irreducible winemakers, committed to our convictions, passionately determined to advance down new paths, but without any dogmatism.
The soil is a living element.
Our parcel is made of clay-limestone chalk soil. It is full of little fossils (turritelles) laid down by the sea some fifty million years ago. The clay works as a real reservoir, allowing a regular supply of water, and thus avoids the stress due to drought.
At the Domaine de Mouscaillo, we endeavour to reach a perfect balance between man, environment, plant and wine. Our actions are guided by common sense!
To protect the vines from these parasites, we always prefer organic and biotechnical methods which respect the ecological balance. We use the following means of natural regulation (modelling, release of predatory Typhlodromus mites). In the future, priority will be given to developing the natural defensive systems of the vines.
The wind is a powerful ally as it naturally cleans the environment and keeps the proliferation of fungi under control.
Our goal: to produce healthy, mature and tasty grapes
The grass cover competes with the vines for nutrients and water, thus preventing them from shooting up and making them less likely to be infected with parasites. Therefore, there are fewer and smaller grapes, which never touch each other...
We harvest our grapes by hand. Only the best grapes go into the press
As a result of both its height and its northern exposure, our parcel of land produces slowly matured grapes which give an unusual crispness to this Languedoc grown Chardonnay. The deep chalk-limestone rooting of the plants explains the mineral overtone of the wine.
The Pinot vines have a southern exposure and, therefore, benefit from a greater exposure to the sunshine.
If the work of the vineyard is done properly, the wine will reflect the quality of the grape.
For the Chardonnay wine, fermenting and ageing are done in large oak barrels (both new and old) which contain between 450 and 600 litres, but the taste of wood should not dominate and conceal the wine’s character and its aroma.
Mouscaillo, it’s two wines :
- AOC LIMOUX BLANC (Chardonnay)
- VDP PINOT NOIR (micro cuvée)
We have been amply rewarded after all our doubts and our uncertainties. We have invested in this wine a lot of ourselves, much time and boundless energy but the result is up to our expectations.
Marie-Claire and Pierre