Rémi Larroque from Mas des Combes, France

Last week while attending the APVSA wine tasting in Washington, DC, I met Rémi Larroque, owner and winemaker at Mas des Combes. This winery with vineyards is located in the Appellation Gaillac Contrôlee in France’s Sud-Ouest region. Mas des Combes is producing red, white and sparkling wines using traditional grape varieties and ancestral varieties. Currently Mas des Combes is looking for importers and distributors.

Rémi is enthusiastic about the wines he produces at Mas des Combes. Rémi is a member of a family that has many generations of winegrowers, going back 16 generations. During the early 1800s, Jean Perre Larroque settled in Oustry where he produced wine and established a wine cellar. The winemaking and vineyard growing has passed down over the years and today Rémi with his wife, Nathalie, own and operate Mas des Combes.

Prunel’Art wine from Mas des Combes

I tasted two wines produced by Rémi, a Prunel’Art and Mas Combes Gaillac Red 2017.  The Prunel’Art was produced with 100% Prunelart grape variety. It had 15 g/L of sugar and had 12% alcohol. The wine was a red/purple color. The aroma was robust and the taste offered notes of dark fruit. The finish offered fresh fruit notes. The Prunel’Art wine is produced with Prunelart an old type of grape frequently grown in Gaillac.

The Mas Combes Gaillac Red 2017 was produced with Merlot, Fer Servadou, Syrah and Duras grape varieties. It was a translucent red color. The wine, with 12.5% alcohol, was dry with red fruit notes including cherries and red raspberries. This dry wine offered a medium body with mild tannins leading into a long finish. Pairing suggestions included grilled poultry and meats.

An online interview with Mas des Combes provided this intriguing information.

Wine Trail Traveler: What are Rémi’s most enjoyable aspects of Mas des Combes?

Rémi Larroque: I particularly like the harvest time, which ranges from 3 to 5 weeks, in September and October. Each vintage is a discovery.

Wine Trail Traveler: You have 34 hectares of vineyards. What varieties are you growing?

Mas de Combes Red Wine

Rémi Larroque: We favour our own unique ancestral  varieties called Gaillac : Fer Servadou (also known as “Braucol”), Prunelart, Duras, for reds, Mauzac and Len de l’El for the whites. We also use varieties such as Syrah, Merlot, Gamay, Sauvignon blanc, Muscadelle. The Mas des Combes estate is composed of 60% reds and 40% whites.

Wine Trail Traveler: To what do you contribute the success of the winery?

Rémi Larroque:

–Know how from several generations
-Our wines are present in several establishments in the Occitanie region and also in all the France.
-The qualitative regularity of the products
-A good price-performance ratio

Wine Trail Traveler: How will the winery change and grow in the next five years?

Rémi Larroque: We have built a new, more modern winery to sell more bottles of wine. Our two children, at this time are still young, will perhaps  take over the estate and we would like to give them the tools to start well. That’s why we are looking for importers, distributors in USA and CANADA

Wine Trail Traveler: I discovered the Prunel’Art wine to be delicious. Do you use the Prunelart grapes only as a straight varietal wine or do you use it in a blend?

Rémi Larroque: Prunel’Art is a varietal wine, 100% Prunelart (grape variety).        It’s an old forgotten grape variety typical from Gaillac. We replanted it 6 years ago.

Wine Trail Traveler: What types of foods do you like to pair with Prunel’Art wine?

Rémi Larroque: This full-flavoured wine, made from the traditional “Prunelart” grape, has delightful aromas of black fruit, plum, with a hint of spice and black olive. Mouthfeel is dense, and the fleshy tannins hold a hint of liquorice and fruit (raspberry, tart cherry, ripe fruit).

Drink with  duck meat, with a plate of cold, mixed meats (raw ham, dry pork sausage).
Aperitive, and also with dark chocolate pie. Should be served freshly (12—13°)

Wine Trail Traveler: What can visitors to Mas des Combes expect when visiting?

Rémi Larroque: Discovery of a hilly landscape, bordered with vineyards and wheat fields, it is called the “little tuscany” dotted with hamlets in white country stones.

They can visit the cellar on request, between June 1st and August 31st. Wine tasting in the sales cellar. Opportunity to walk on the vineyard paths

Wine Trail Traveler: What would you like the public to know about Mas des Combes?

Rémi Larroque: We are a family business since a several generations; we harvest, vinify our wines ourselves. We respect the environment with good grape culture principles to avoid vine diseases; we favour preventive rather than curative treatments. We respect our landscapes, lands and above all, the customer that buys our wines

Address:

Mas Des Combes
Nathalie et Rémi LARROQUE
391 chemin du Mas d’Oustry
81600 GAILLAC

Wine Trail Traveler wishes Rém Larroque much continued success with winegrowing, winemaking and marketing the Mas des Combes wines.

Cheers!
Kathy