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Domaine de l Ouche Gaillard
Organic, no-added-sulphite Montlouis by Gabriele and Régis Dansault: chenin, sparkling, Touraine reds...
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Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard - organic, no-added-sulphite Montlouis-sur-Loire by Gabriele and Régis Dansault
Montlouis-sur-Loire - Touraine, Loire Valley
Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard is a Loire estate in Montlouis-sur-Loire, run by Gabriele and Régis Dansault. Certified organic since it was founded in 2008, it crafts chenins, still wines and sparkling, and reds often made with no added sulphites, available direct on Avenue des Vins.
"Less is more!" The motto says it all. On the slopes of Montlouis-sur-Loire, Gabriele, German, fallen in love with Touraine, and Régis, a Touraine engineer turned winegrower, farm some fifteen hectares organically and most often vinify with no added sulphites. Vibrant chenins, traditional-method bubbles, fruit-driven reds, wines with no inputs that reveal their true nature, available direct on Avenue des Vins.
Two winegrowers, one shared quest for natural wine
Two paths meet at Montlouis. Gabriele, German, came through the humanities before falling in love with Touraine and its vineyards, then marrying the winegrower rooted there. She took over the cellar with an artist's temperament and one conviction: a return to the most natural viticulture possible. Régis, a native of Touraine and an agricultural engineer, moved into wine in the mid-1980s and made his first harvest in AOC Montlouis-sur-Loire in 1987, from 70 ares of chenin on the family holding.
From this meeting came, in 2008, the EARL Gabriele et Régis Dansault, turned fully towards organic farming from the very start. In 2010 came their first organic, no-added-sulphite cuvée: the beginning of an approach that has stayed with them ever since. "Wines with no inputs, more authentic wines that reveal their true nature," as they put it.
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Montlouis-sur-Loire, chenin in tuffeau country
Montlouis-sur-Loire is a Touraine appellation, on the left bank of the Loire, devoted to chenin blanc alone. It is the grape of every contrast: bright and taut when dry, beguiling off-dry and sweet, and above all a wonderful base for bubbles. Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard makes it its backbone, from the dry cuvée to the traditional method.
Alongside chenin, the estate also grows the region's red and rosé grapes, gamay, cabernet franc, côt and pineau d'aunis, in AOP Touraine, IGP Val de Loire or Vin de France. The fifteen hectares are worked, ploughed where needed, with partial natural grass cover, in line with the organic-farming specifications.
Montlouis-sur-Loire · chenin blanc, still wines and sparkling
Touraine & Loire Valley · gamay, cabernet franc, côt, pineau d'aunis
Farming · organic viticulture, partial natural grass cover
Harvest · by hand, bunch by bunch, at optimum ripeness
Accompanying the wine, never forcing it
The estate's winemaking follows one clear line: accompany the wine rather than force it, and above all never dope it. Right up to bottling, the wines are generally made with no added sulphites. Pressing takes place in a closed-cage pneumatic press, gently, and fermentations start on the grape's indigenous yeasts alone.
The sparkling wines are made by the traditional method, with the second fermentation drawn on the grape's own sugars and a dosage that is ever lighter, even non-existent. The reds, for their part, begin fermentation as whole bunches, away from the air and with no added sulphites. Ageing takes place mainly in stainless steel for the traditional-method wines and in demi-muids for the still wines: oak for stability and complexity, never for an oaky taste.
No added sulphites
Winemaking generally with no added sulphites through to bottling, for wines with no inputs that are more authentic.
Indigenous yeasts
Fermentations started by the grape's own yeasts; sparkling wines drawn on natural sugars, dosage kept minimal.
Steel and demi-muids
Stainless steel for the traditional-method wines, demi-muids for the still wines: oak for hold, not for an oaky character.
The wines of Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard
Chenin in every form, from bubbles to fruit-driven reds. The cuvées and vintages available change with each bottling: find those offered on the estate's page.
The Montlouis sparkling wines
Montlouis-sur-Loire traditional method · 100% chenin · Brut, Demi-sec, Brut Nat, Jubiliss
The estate's sparkling signature, drawn on the grape's own sugars. From Brut to the undosed Brut Nat, through to Jubiliss, a single-fermentation brut nature. Fine, taut bubbles, for the aperitif and the table alike.
The Montlouis whites
AOP Montlouis-sur-Loire · chenin · from dry to sweet
Chenin across its whole range: Impressions when dry, Jade off-dry, Améthyste and Heliodor sweet, Saphir in the lusciously sweet style. So many expressions of a single grape, from the tautest to the most honeyed.
The no-added-sulphite whites
Chenin · made with no added sulphites · Epikuria III, Ménestrel
The heart of the "Less is more!" approach. Epikuria III, a sweet Montlouis with no added sulphites, and Ménestrel: chenins of real purity that reveal their true nature.
The reds and rosés
Gamay, cabernet franc, côt, pineau d'aunis · Touraine, Loire Valley, Vin de France
Fruit-driven reds, often with no added sulphites: Volubilis from gamay, Pierre de Lune from cabernet franc, Bruyère Marin from côt. For the rosés, Allégresse and Cantabilis, the latter with no added sulphites.
Montlouis-sur-Loire · organic chenin · sparkling · no added sulphites · Careful delivery across France and Europe
Why choose the wines of Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard
An estate organic from day one. The EARL Gabriele et Régis Dansault turned fully to organic farming from 2008, with hand-harvesting and respect for the organic specifications.
"Less is more!" Many cuvées are made with no added sulphites, for wines with no inputs that reveal their true nature.
Chenin in every guise. From dry Montlouis to sweet, by way of traditional-method sparkling: one grape, a whole palette.
An artist's and an engineer's hands. Gabriele's sensibility and Régis's agronomic know-how, in service of the most natural viticulture possible.
Direct from the estate. Avenue des Vins gives you access to the wines of Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard with no needless middlemen, with careful delivery across France and Europe.
Frequently asked questions about Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard
Where is Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard located?
The estate is in Montlouis-sur-Loire (37270), in Touraine, in the Loire Valley. It is run by Gabriele and Régis Dansault, across some fifteen hectares planted on the slopes of the Loire's left bank.
Is the estate certified organic?
Yes. From its founding in 2008, the EARL Gabriele et Régis Dansault turned fully towards organic farming, and the vineyard is worked in line with the organic specifications. The first organic, no-added-sulphite cuvée dates from 2010.
What does "no added sulphites" mean?
It means no sulphur (SO₂) is added during winemaking, right up to bottling. At Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard this is generally the case: "Less is more!" Grapes naturally contain a small amount of sulphur, which is why the wording is "no added sulphites" rather than "sulphite-free".
What is the Montlouis-sur-Loire appellation?
Montlouis-sur-Loire is a Touraine appellation, on the left bank of the Loire, devoted to chenin blanc alone. It produces still wines, from dry to sweet, as well as traditional-method sparkling and pétillant wines. It is the estate's flagship appellation.
Which grapes are grown at the estate?
Chenin blanc is the flagship grape: it signs both the still Montlouis wines and the sparkling. For the reds and rosés, the estate works gamay, cabernet franc, côt and pineau d'aunis, in AOP Touraine, IGP Val de Loire or Vin de France.
How are the sparkling wines made?
The sparkling wines are made by the traditional method, with the second fermentation drawn on the grape's own sugars and a dosage that is ever lighter, even non-existent. This gives a Brut, a Demi-sec, an undosed Brut Nat, and Jubiliss, a single-fermentation brut nature.
How are the wines vinified and aged?
Pressing takes place in a closed-cage pneumatic press and fermentations start on indigenous yeasts. The reds begin as whole bunches, away from the air and with no added sulphites. Ageing takes place in stainless steel for the traditional-method wines and in demi-muids for the still wines, the oak sought for stability and complexity, not for oaky notes.
Who are Gabriele and Régis Dansault?
Gabriele, German, came through the humanities before falling in love with Touraine and taking over the cellar, with an artist's temperament and a taste for natural wine. Régis, from Touraine and an agricultural engineer, moved into wine in the mid-1980s and made his first Montlouis harvest in 1987. Together they founded the estate in 2008.
How should these wines be served and kept?
The sparkling wines and dry chenins are served chilled (around 8-10°C), as an aperitif or with fish and seafood; the off-dry and sweet styles pair happily with cheese or dessert. The no-added-sulphite wines keep best cool and away from light; once opened, they are best enjoyed within the following few days.
Where can I buy the wines of Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard direct?
The wines of Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard are available on Avenue des Vins, through a short supply chain: the bottles come straight from the estate, with no needless middlemen, and ship to France and to the eligible European countries. The selection and vintages vary with each bottling.
Chenin from Montlouis-sur-Loire, sparkling and no-added-sulphite cuvées
Domaine de l'Ouche Gaillard - a Montlouis-sur-Loire estate (Touraine, Loire Valley) run by Gabriele and Régis Dansault, certified organic since its founding in 2008.
Chenin from Montlouis (still wines and traditional-method sparkling), reds and rosés from Touraine, many cuvées with no added sulphites - direct from the estate.