After having occupied the position of head sommelier in a beautiful establishment in Occitania, Brian Devaux currently officiates in Lorraine with the starred restaurant Toya. Professional and passionate, he won the title of “Sommelier” of the Grand Est at the end of the Gault & Millau Tour 2018.
Un geek du vin
Brian Devaux has a passion for wine. Trained at the Jean Monnet Hospitality School in Libourne, then at the Gascogne Hospitality and Tourism School in Talence, he honed his skills in the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards. He was first encountered as head sommelier at the Hôtel Restaurant Castet in Martres-Tolosane, and today he lends his talents to the Lorraine region at the Michelin-starred restaurant Toya in Faulquemont. His perspective on the profession is both knowledgeable and unconventional: rather than adopting the strict title of sommelier, he defines himself, with the originality of his generation, as a wine geek . This subtle use of language establishes his attitude: rather than emphasizing the specialized knowledge of sommellerie, he approaches his profession as a generous act of sharing. For Brian Devaux, wine must above all be unifying and accessible, in terms of both cost and quality.
Typical wines and typical wines
Brian Devaux's discourse on viticulture is beautifully mature and spontaneous, much like the estates and châteaux he cherishes. For him, wine is first and foremost a product of the land, transformed by human hands. This means that terroir always takes precedence in the art of winemaking, and that a wine's value stems primarily from the respect shown to nature's work. All of this reflects a contemporary spirit, one that sees a return to the typicity of terroirs emerging in vineyard work, achieved through the revival of local grape varieties. Brian Devaux contrasts the "typographical wine ," conventionally referring to grand cru wines, with the " typical wine ," that is, the wine of identity, distinguished by the signature of the terroir and the generations of winemakers who have preserved its authenticity. Because the stakes are high: not only is it a commitment to greater respect for the land, but it is also the motivation to restore ancestral wine-growing traditions.
Brian Devaux's “favorite” selection
Generous in his approach, concerned with the greatest possible sharing, Brian Devaux's advice turns to wines from Occitania that we could say of initiation, suitable to support the emotion of the present moment.
Gaillac
Chateau Clément Termes
A domain that has the know-how of seven generations, the typicity of the blends of which is determined by their alliance with ancestral grape varieties including Mauzac or pruneart.
Chateau Clément Termes
Domaine Plageoles
With Bernard Plageolles we open the bible of the Gaillac vineyard. The wine that rises there in the oak barrels of the Grésigne forest is a hymn to the local terroir. To remember in particular the Mauzac Nature, resulting from the ancestral “Gaillacoise” vinification. Or the Prunelart aged in traditional vatting, seeded with indigenous yeasts, organically grown at the source.
Domaine Plageoles
Cotes de Gascogne
Lagajan Estate
Chosen for its reds, matured to the stage of complex and dynamic wines on the palate, expressing all the generosity of the southwest.
Lagajan Estate
UBY domain
The sommelier recommends One Petit Manseng, compatible with the spirit of an aperitif wine, conducive to whetting the appetite.
Delicate profile, ample and fresh on the palate, with an aromatic expression of exotic fruits ...
Domain of Pellehaut
The reputation of Pellehaut is well established for white wines. So our favorite will be the Harmonie Rosé, a blend of Tannat, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. A wine rich in minerality and fruity intensities from which emerge nuances of raspberry or red fruits.
Cahors
Chateau Haut-Monplaisir
A vinification concentrated on a 100% Malbec, expressing the virtues of the sunshine of the Cahors estates. To be allowed to age so that its intense and vintage accents are expressed.
Clos Triguedina
An estate that bears the mark of several generations of winegrowers, of which Jean-Luc Baldès is the current heir. An authentic vinification, which explores in depth the resources of the vine. Superb wines served by sincere authenticity.