Domaine De brin
winemaker: damien bonnet
Country: France
Region: Southwest
Appellation(s):
gaillac
Grapes:
braucol, duras, merlot, syrah, mauzac, loin de l’oeil, cabernet sauvignon
Farming:
Biodynamic and certified organic
Annual production : 5,000 cases
Geology:
clay limestone
Photo: DDM - Emilie Cayre
Damien Bonnet is an exciting young winemaker with an old soul. At just 40, he has over a decade of experience running his own domaine and a perspective on winemaking in his historic region of Gaillac (the Romans made wine there almost two thousand years ago!!) that reflects the maturity of someone many generations older.
Since taking over in 2008, Damien has turned Domaine de Brin into one of the pioneering lodestars of the renewal of Gaillac. Under his father and previous generations, the family's 14 hectares of grapes were sold to the local cooperative. Damien decided from the outset to make his own wines, with the strong conviction to vinify mostly undersung local varietals like Braucol, Duras and Mauzac instead of the Cabernet Sauvignon plants his father had put in.
One of the founders of Terroir de Gaillac, a group of local organic and biodynamic winemakers, he has taken a deeper dive into even more forgotten varietals in recent years — including a delicious sparkling wine from Ondec (one of the most famous white varietals in Bordeaux in the 19th century!).
We were first introduced to Damien a few summers ago in the Dordogne by an energetic long-haired Dutch wine broker called Tim Bos and his wife Frederike. Longtime proponents of Southwest wines, the Bos were passionate about the precision behind Damien‘s winemaking project and we saw it too.
Damien‘s family farm goes beyond the grape holdings, with cultivation of various cereals and legumes as well as smattering of oak forests bordering the vines. This perspective on polyculture and biodiversity extends into the vineyards, where Damien intervenes as little as possible and harvests manually. In the cellar, he is very interested in experimenting with aging techniques and has used a slew of containers — clay amphoras, sandstone jars, big wood foudres — in his quest to find the best expression of these delicious ancient grapes.
Click here to read more.
