In the south-west of France, from the foothills of the Pyrenees to the rolling hills of Gascony, the vineyards of Plaimont stretch out. Almost half a century after it was founded, the French co-operative is the beacon of the region and has made a name for itself by researching and preserving old, forgotten grape varieties such as Manseng Noir and Tardif.
It all began in 1979 with the merger of the three co-operatives of Plaisance, Aignan and Saint Mont to form the new Plaimont co-operative. Over time, the wineries of Condom (Gascony) and Château Crouseilles in Madiranais joined the Plaimont co-operative. Today, with more than 800 winegrowers, 5,300 hectares of vineyards and ten châteaux under its roof, Plaimont produces wines in the Madiran, Saint Mont and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh appellations; from 2023 also in the Jurançon appellation. There are also wines from the IGP Côtes de Gascogne.
Vignoble Monastère de Saint Mont
PlaimontInitially, the ambitious Plaimont project was ridiculed by many. "At the beginning, we probably doubted the sustainability of our plan ourselves," recalls Olivier Bourdet Pees, director of Plaimont since 2012. "We want to preserve and propagate our local grape varieties, some of which were almost extinct," he explains. In this way, Plaimont is fighting against the serious loss of biodiversity. This philosophy is based on the conviction that indigenous varieties such as Gros and Petit Manseng, Arrufiac or Petit Courbu can express the terroir in a unique way. On the other hand, they are well adapted to the local conditions (humid Atlantic climate) and therefore cope better with the natural challenges. Today, these grape varieties and the viticultural culture practised at Plaimont are considered exemplary in overcoming the challenges of climate change.
Listed vineyard
PlaimontIn 2002, Plaimont opened its ampelographic conserv atory with 116 local grape varieties, 33 of which have not yet been genetically identified. "This 'living library' is the guarantee for the typicity and future of our wines and our appellations," says Olivier Bourdet Pees. In the conservatory, the experts have succeeded in revitalising the old Manseng Noir and Tardif varieties. Manseng Noir, which fell into oblivion after the phylloxera crisis, is a cousin of the local favourite Tannat. In contrast to its powerful cousin, Manseng Noir has a relatively low alcohol content (11% or 12% by volume, depending on the vintage) and little tannin - the result: fresh and fruity wines. Manseng Noir is now cultivated on around 20 hectares and can be found in the "Moonseng" and "Manseng Noir" cuvées.
In 2002, the ampelographers came across the old Tardif variety, a variety with peppery notes and slow vegetative development: it only reaches its optimum ripeness at the beginning of September - an aspect that is particularly interesting in times of climate change. After almost 20 years, in 2020, Tardif was included in the official AOC Saint Mont grape variety catalogue. In 2024, Tardif was used for the first time in a red wine from the AOC Saint Mont, a cuvée made from 20 per cent Tardif and 80 per cent Tannat. Six hectares are currently planted with Tardif, with four hectares to be added each year.
Château Crouseilles
PlaimontThe latest project of the Plaimont comrades is the new experimental cellar, which was opened in mid-2022. It is the ideal place to further research indigenous grape varieties and try out new winemaking methods. "In our new experimental cellar, we have the opportunity to showcase the potential and originality of our conservatory's grape varieties," enthuses oenologist Elodie Gassiole, head of the new experimental cellar. So there is still a lot to do: "We will continue to work on the drinkability of our wines and also focus on the 'reinvention' of red wines," says Olivier Bourdet Pees, adding: "We hope that we will be able to avoid the use of pesticides in all our vineyards. Above all, however, we want to remain true to our philosophy".