Domaine Plaisance Penavayre

Domaine Plaisance Penavayre

Domaine Plaisance Penavayre is above all 26 hectares of vines in the town of Vacquiers. It is also a family business passed down from father to son among the Penavayres: from Louis to Marc and from Marc to Thibaut.

History

It was only in 1971 that Louis Penavayre decided to leave the Villaudric cooperative cellar to devote himself entirely to vine cultivation and wine production. He is one of the first in the village of Vacquiers to make wine under the VDQS Fronton label. The first harvests were sold to local traders, then Louis decided to start bottling in 1985.
1991 marked a turning point with the installation of Marc Penavayre, who had in the meantime obtained a diploma in agricultural engineering and oenology. Father and son are developing the estate with the desire to improve the quality of their grapes and their vintages. This happened either through increases in surface area or through judicious choices of grape varieties.
The constant desire to progress pushed Marc to join the organic farming process in 2005. After 3 years of testing to “get the hang of it”, he officially committed to converting to Organic Agriculture in 2008 and obtained the label in 2011.
The first trials in biodynamics began with the 2016 vintage, always with the idea of making the most precise wines possible and with a concern for respect for the environment and the life of the soil.
2019 represents a new stage for the field. Thibaut, also an agronomist and oenologist, officially moved in with his father and grandfather. They cultivate 25 hectares of vines for a production of 100,000 bottles per year. The arrival of Thibaut also marks a change of identity: from Château Plaisance, the estate becomes Domaine Plaisance Penavayre.

Terroir

The 26 hectares of Penavayre wine estate are all located in the commune of Vacquiers, but are spread over two very distinct areas, including:
The terroir of the north of Vacquiers, in the Tarn valley
Here you have three types of soil on which different types of grape varieties thrive.
Upstream there are very early and thin soils. These adapt perfectly to the production of the estate's “Le Rouge” and “Le Rosé” vintages.
Then, we have transitional soils or stony boulbènes. These lend themselves to the cultivation of Négrette, a precious grape variety used to concoct, for example, the “ Alabets ” vintage.
Finally, there are the mullets of the Tarn: soils with clay loam characteristics. Allowing slow maturation of the grapes, these soils are intended for the cultivation of the grape varieties used for “ Le Pitchou ” and “ Tot Co Que Cal ”.

Savoir-Faire

Among the Penavayres, fathers and sons share the same vision: “beautiful grapes make good wines”. To obtain beautiful, colorful and juicy bunches, knowing your field is essential. You have to know your vineyard, its vines and its soils.
It is with this in mind that Marc did not hesitate for a single moment to include the family estate in a certified organic farming process. This is also why he became interested in biodynamic agriculture.As much as possible, manual labor is prioritized among the Penavayres, from pruning the vines to harvesting and even working in the cellar. In a biodynamic approach, the vintage of the wines must be able to fully express the essence of the terroir from which it comes. In other words: clean and very healthy vintages.

View all Producers