In the Fronton vines grown to organic standards are rare. Château Boujac is one of them and deserves a stop. So we will taste wines that are both typical of the AOC and of a spontaneity where the fruit is expressed in good balance and full intensity.
The legacy of an era
In the 30s, the Selle family from Italy settled in Campsas in the Frontonborn. On these lands of the southwest many wastelands remain. The vineyard of Fronton has not yet acquired its current notoriety. Some of the wine produced there essentially supplies the table wine market in Toulouse. The other part reaches northern Europe from Bordeaux after taking the waterways of the Tarn and the Garonne. Négrette, a grape variety endemic to the Tarn region, thrives on this terroir of Boulbènes. At that time, quantity was more important than quality and would give this wine an image that would permanently erase its character. The transmission of the estate to the third generation will completely change this destiny.
Awareness
In 1988, Philippe Selle acquired 10 hectares of vines. The vineyard is then worked according to conventional methods. Plowing the soil, treating the plants to keep “a clean vine” are established habits. Except that Philippe and Michelle Selle, his wife, have a sense of the land. Dissonances disturb them: the fescue that is sown to temper the ardor of the vine becomes resistant to weedkillers. Too plowed earth transforms the ground into a strict shelf. The meeting of other wines, other ways of doing and thinking will upset destiny. In 2007 the estate made a commitment to organic viticulture. The label was acquired in 2011. The change is spectacular: the vine regains vigor while the natural grassing regulates its growth. La Négrette, perfectly suited to soils of Fronton, finds the optimal conditions for its maturation. Letting it live while controlling it, weeding the soil rather than plowing it, regulating yields will restore the vineyard's vitality.
La Négrette in full expression
At Château Boujac, everything is geared towards a single goal: to make the wine the finest possible expression of ripe fruit. Aging in vats is the norm, with the exception of one cuvée. Five reds and two rosés showcase the AOC. Blending Négrette with Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon allows for nuanced expression of its typicity. But it reaches its full potential with a red and a rosé made from 100% Négrette. The first is the Kelina cuvée . It is produced using maceration and fermentation in oak barrels, exclusive to Château Boujac. Roundness, suppleness, vibrant fruit, and a deep red color define it. In the same vein, but fermented in vats, the Secrets des Étoiles rosé reveals a deep pink hue and an enticing, fruity nose. At Château Boujac, Négrette is perfectly tamed, and the estate is exemplary in its expression of this grape. Starting with its uncompromising commitment to organic production, guaranteeing the full expression of the vine. In non-AOC wines, the same intensity is found in the Terra Minima white , where the fullness of the Sémillon finds its aromatic counterpoints in the blend with Muscat of Hamburg.