Domaine Plaisance Penavayre

 

Plaisance Penavayre is the 2nd & 3rd generation of winemakers located in the town centre of Vacquiers.
With an adjoining shop / tasting room, they are one of the easiest wineries to visit in the region, particularly for those wishing to try the (still) rare Bouysselet grape.

They were the first winery in Vacquiers to produce wine under the Fronton AOP, have converted to Organic / Biodynamic and are one of the few producers of the local indigenous Bouysselet and Negret Pounjut grapes.

The History:

1971 : Louis Penavayre left the Villaudric cooperative to produce his wines from his own grapes.
1985 : The wines are bottled and appear under the name “Château Plaisance”.
1991 : Louis’ son Marc joins the winery after his oenlogy diploma. Together they focus on improving the quality of the grapes.
2005 : They started practicing organic, officially converting in 2008 and obtaining Organic certification in 2011.
2016 : The first vintage harvested using biodynamic farming practices.
2019 : Marc’s son Thibaut joined  the company and Château Plaisance was rebranded “Domaine Plaisance Penavayre”.

 

Plaisance Penavayre produce a vast range for such a small family winery:

Sparkling
  • Petnat  :  a Pét-Nat from Muscat de Hambourg.
White
  • L’Ahumat  :  (“smoked” / “fumé” in Occitan). A fresh Sauvignon Blanc.
  • Cruchinet  :  Chenin Blanc aged in stainless steel, concrete eggs and demi-muid oak barrels.
  • Bouysselet  :  100% Bouysselet. A fresher expression as it has been fermented only in stainless steel without any oak barrels. First released in 2018.
Rosé
  • Le Rosé  :  a floral rosé from a blend of Négrette & Syrah.
Red:
  • Les Infusés  :  A side-project of Thibault’s with 2 friends Robin & Guillame. A natural wine from Négrette.
  • Serr da Beg  :  (“Shut your mouth” in Breton) 100% Négrette with no added sulphur. Fresh and intended for early drinking.
  • Negret Pounjut  :  100% Negret Pounjut. Light bodied and low alcohol.
  • Rend Son Jus  :  100% Jurançon  Noir. Light (11.5%) yet structured.
  • Alabets  :  (“and so” in Occitan) 100% Négrette aged in concrete (no oak)- fresh, floral, spicy & structured.
  • Tot Çò Que Cal  :  (“everything that’s required” in Catalan) 100% Négrette from low yielding vines, barrel aged for 16 months.
  • Le Rouge  :  a full-bodied red blend with 18 months barrel age.
  • Le Pitchou  :  a blend of low yield Négrette & Syrah aged for 18 months in oak barrels.
Sweet
  • Lakaat-E-Barzh  :  (“Put it in” in Breton). A sweet late harvest Muscat de Hambourg. Only 40g/l residual sugar.
  • Maëlle  :  100% Sémillon. Sweet. Low alcohol (9%).
Other:
  • La Vie Negrette  :  vinegar made from Négrette.
  • Serapias  :  A Négrette liquor wine fortified with brandy to 17% and aged in barrels for 18 months.
  • Aigo Ordent  :  Eau de vie (brandy) from Négrette, distilled by the local organic distillery “Straw Bale”. 44%

 

Producer Info

Winery: Plaisance Penavayre
Established: 1971
Winemaker: Marc & Thibault Penavayre
Hectares: 26 Ha

Grapes:

White:
Bouysselet, Chenin Blanc, Muscat d'Alexandre, Muscat de Hambourg, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
Red:
Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, Jurançon Noir, Négrette, Negret Pounjut, Syrah
Philosophy: “Valiant in the field, but lazy in the cellar”
Viticulture: Organic, Biodynamic
Vinification: Minimal intervention
Bottles/year: 120,000
Visits: Tue 9-12, Wed-Sat 9-12, 15-19. Free tasting in their dedicated tasting room & wine shop.
Address: 102 place de la Mairie, 31340, VACQUIERS
Website: https://plaisancepenavayre.fr