Gaillac is pastoral country, and has the classic French vine-growing soil, a clay-limestone marl that feeds rich farmland where it’s flat and vineyards where there are gentle slopes. Gaillac is also set on the Tarn River, which once ferried Gaillac’s wine to Toulouse, then to Bordeaux and the world beyond. The city of Bordeaux put a stop to all that when they started making their own serious wine in the eighteenth century, but Gaillac – like so many other corners of Southwest France – remained, selling their wine to the brisk local market. Damien Bonnet was born on his family’s traditionally minded winery, but when he came of age he chose to explore biodynamic viticulture and low intervention winemaking with a spirit of pure curiosity. Wines like this prove the hard work was worth it. It’s a blend of mostly native grapes – Duras, Broucal and Prunalert – and shows an expansive aroma of blackberry and raspberry, black olive tapenade and clay soil with a bit of orange peel. Orange and black fruits step forward on the palate, with fresh acidity and chalky tannins building on the finish. This is a delightfully well balanced wine with suave texture and savory flavor, perfect for all sorts of farm-to-table inspired meals.