Gaillac · 6 km
Domaine du Mas Pignou
Five generations of the Auque family on the first slopes of Gaillac, perched above 200 metres with a view over the valley. An estate built for hospitality, from vin bourru to sparklings.
Domaine du Mas Pignou has belonged to the Auque family for five generations. It sits on the first slopes of Gaillac, on the right bank of the Tarn, above two hundred metres among century-old trees — from up here the view reaches across the whole valley. Forty hectares planted evenly in red and white grapes, and the full Gaillac range on offer: still, sweet, sparkling.
Cuvée Mélanie takes top billing, a Braucol-led red named after the forebear who saved the vines during the Great War. But the house curiosity is the Bourru: a barely fermented seasonal wine, cloudy and light, drunk only for a few weeks in autumn. Alongside are dry and sweet whites, and an ancestral-method sparkling, the Bulle de Paradis.
This is above all an estate of welcome — picnics, playground, summer concerts, free tasting. Two things to know before you drive up: there’s no website (you book by phone), and the estate isn’t certified organic but farmed under reasoned agriculture. For anyone wanting to grasp the appellation’s styles in a single stop, from dry to sweet to sparkling, the address is ideal.
Where to find the estate
6 km from Gaillac, on the heights of Gaillac.
- 1 Domaine du Mas Pignou — Mas Pignou, 84 chemin du Mas de Bonnal, 81600 Gaillac
Estate wines
3 wines, one signature
The flagship red, led by Braucol — named after the forebear who saved the vines in WWI.
Ancestral method, fine bubbles, apple and quince.
A still white, fruity and well balanced.
Good to know
- What is vin bourru?
- A 'bourru' wine: a barely fermented seasonal juice, cloudy and light (around 3% abv), drunk young in autumn. It's the estate's popular signature, around for only a few weeks.
- Is the estate organic?
- No. Mas Pignou is farmed under 'agriculture raisonnée' (reasoned farming), with no organic or biodynamic certification. We say it plainly: if that matters to you, look elsewhere in the vineyard.
- Can you come with family, have a picnic?
- Yes: picnic area, playground, large car park (coaches included), and evening concerts in summer. It's an estate made for stopping, not just for buying.
- Where does the name Cuvée Mélanie come from?
- From the forebear Mélanie, said to have saved five hectares of vines during the First World War. The cuvée, a red for keeping, is a tribute to her.
Visit the estate
Come taste on site
Monday to Saturday all year; Sundays by appointment. Free tasting, closed 1 January and 25 December.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous for your health. Drink responsibly.