Le Vin d’Ariège, visit of the Engraviès wine estate near Mirepoix

Welcome to the Domaine d'Engraviès, where Thomas Piquemal has been producing as an Independent Winegrower, wine under IGP Ariège, since 2014. On this estate located a few kilometers from Mirepoix in Vira, you can take wine tours of the vineyards, cellars and do tastings with Thomas. He will tell you about this young and vigorous vine, his characterful wine which he has made from vines that have always been grown organically. Meeting with a real passionate winemaker who accompanies his 6 cuvées, from the vine stock to the sale of the bottles directly!

Photos of the article © Domaine d'Engraviès

A winemaker passionate about his job and his land

Thomas is from Foix , he grew up in Ariège, he has always been passionate about vines and wine. When he decided to make it his job, he studied and then moved to Burgundy temporarily to seek advice and experience from the wine estates of Meursault and Nuit Saint-Georges. He learns the techniques of viticulture, but also of breeding the precious grape juice to transform it into wine, the assembly and all the trades necessary to sell his production in a 100% autonomous way. In 2011, he wanted to return to his native Ariège, he discovered the Domaine d'Engraviès, a beautiful 8ha estate on sunny hillsides. He will work for 3 years with the former owners, before buying the estate (which was already organic since the planting of the vines in 1998) and becoming an Independent Winegrower.

Thomas takes care of everything, he plants the vines, he maintains the vines, prunes, takes care of it, he plows and takes care of the land. Some plots on these steep slopes are difficult to access with a tractor, so he trained in plowing with a horse. He takes care of the harvest by hand, to respect the vine and harvest the grapes at perfect maturity by choosing the bunches ready to give the best quality juice. He presses, then ages the wine in his cellar. Until bottling and sale, the wine does not leave the Domaine d'Engraviès, it is a real short circuit!

The Coteaux d'Engraviès, great wines of Ariège with character

Thomas cultivates 3 grape varieties to work his wines: Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Carrying out parcel selection, these 3 grape varieties, depending on where they grow on the estate, produce grapes of different flavors to make their blends more complex and rich. Thomas works only with indigenous yeasts and under temperature control, the winemaking process is mastered but as natural as possible. He will then raise the precious liquid in old barrels, to keep all the nuances and the original aromatic richness of his wine, without altering it or distorting it with new wood tannins. He keeps them for about a year, before bottling.

The wines of the Coteaux d'Engraviès are presented in 5 red cuvées and a summer rosé cuvée:

• Fleur de Cailloux is a spicy and flowery wine, perfect with meat
• Orchidée is also a wine with deliciously spicy notes
  
• Roc des Maillols is a blend of 3 grape varieties, complex and powerful
• Fount Cassat is a perfect cuvée with red meats, a wine of character
• Esprit des Cimes is a real gem! A wine with concentrated aromas, with a good length, perfect for noble meats such as duck breast, lamb...
  

Visit of a vineyard in Ariège

Thomas offers visits to the Domaine d'Engraviès as well as the discovery of the cellars and a free tasting of the wines, with then the possibility of buying them at producer prices on site. Visits are free, they take place on Thursday morning at 10am in July and August. If you would like to visit outside this period, you can contact Thomas upstream to find a time slot together. Events are also organized at the Domaine d'Engraviès during the summer season 2 to 3 times a year. Meals with concert, like a happy and festive gourmet market!

Come and discover a wine of character with spicy and smooth, flowery and generous notes. The 5 cuvées of red wine are all different, Thomas will be able to advise you to find the one that will meet your expectations. The Ariège vineyard is in the midst of a revolution! After the phylloxera crisis, the vines disappeared from the landscape, it is thanks to committed professionals who are passionate about the land like Thomas, that they regain their rightful place. The first mentions of the Coteaux d'Engraviès date back to the 14th century, the wines were appreciated by King Philipe Le Bel at the Courts of France. Come and discover the wines of Thomas Piquemal!

This is an opportunity to taste the rosé from the Domaine d'Engraviès

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