Domaine de la Tuilerie
« My Armagnac is a whole story of passions! »
Domaine de la Tuilerie is a small Armagnac property located on the border between Gers and Landes. More specifically, it is located in Lannemaignan, on a terroir renowned for the quality of its fawn sands. The estate is a family winery since 1885. Today it is managed by Colette Remazeilles, passionate winemaker, artist and woman with a big heart!
Colette Remazeilles: When my great-grandfather bought here it was not a vineyard but a traditional tile factory that had existed for a long time. Upon his acquisition, he made the choice to stop the production of tiles and plant vines. From this past we have also kept the old building of tiles and a very particular architecture restored in the rules of art. The name of the property, Domaine de la Tuilerie is a tribute to this past, the roots of this place!
Why did you choose to do this job, to take over the family business?
C.R.: The question was not asked because I always had an interest in what my parents were doing. I was born here in Armagnac, I was baptized in Armagnac and I have always lived on the property. I have always attended and helped with the various works of the vineyard and the winery… I have many memories as a little of seeing my father and my mother prepare and taste Armagnacs… Armagnac is something inked in me. I took over in 1998 the property to take care of it while pursuing another professional career… It was in the logic of history.
What makes the Domaine de la Tuilerie unique?
C.R.: In the first place, I am a very small producer, perhaps one of the smallest of Armagnac. My vineyard is surrounded by woods, bordering the Landes and near the river Le Midour. It extends over 2 hectares which are located in the bottom of a hill which makes them quite sensitive to frost. All my work is based on tradition, what my father did and how he did it. For example, heating the still with wood and not gas is very important here. The still model that I have is an Orthez from 1949, and it is heated only with small bursts of Charm or Alder from the property. Why these woods? Because they ignite immediately and allow to maintain a certain stability in the heating, but the focus of the still being very small, it must be recharged in wood every ten minutes.
The other important point is the wood of my barrels called ”parts” in Armagnac. They are manufactured by Gilles Bartholomo who is the last cooper from the Landes living three kilometers from here. His grandfather was already making casks for my father! So all that participates in the production of my Armagnacs comes from my property. 100% local!
What is the signature of the Armagnacs of your House? What makes it possible to recognize them in blind tasting?
C.R.: As for my eaux-de-vie, I try to find the quality of Armagnacs developed by my parents. I only work with the Baco variety, which is perfectly adapted to long aging in wood. The aging cellar floor is earthen and there are openings to promote good ventilation.
We never liked the hot / alcoholic side, and my brandy is round, supple and aromatic. The youngest ones will offer, among others, prune notes… as you grow older, vanilla notes will appear. And old vintages, that is to say, Armagnacs over 50/60 years will appear beautiful notes of candied orange peel and clementine… but still with this beautiful feeling of sweetness, roundness in the mouth and that even if they are around 42 °.
You do not only have Armagnac for passion but also painting. Can you tell us about it?
C.R.: Painting has been feeding my life for more than 15 years now that I have been able to dedicate time to it again. I work in a very contemporary world, in a beautiful workshop near the distillery that I had restored and which was an old bread oven.
Art and Armagnac go very well together! Six years ago, I decided to give myself pleasure and make myself the labels of my youngest Armagnacs who arrive every year at 10 years and can be vintage. So I created a series ”portraits”, the 7th label will be released in 2019. What is great in my daily life is that I work like that, independently, freely! And I also select my Armagnacs for sale according to my tastes.
Last question, do you have any special projects for the property?
C.R.: Yes, I have a whole lot, almost every day when I get up. But when I decide to make one I go to the end. I am a very active, independent person who likes to touch a lot of things. One of my crazy and exciting projects that I’m doing is creating a very unusual arboretum. It is the result of many years of reflection because I wanted absolutely a connection with Armagnac. So I bought an additional plot (adjoining my property) and had two young women architects-landscapers (It is important to give a place to women!).
The specifications were: from the vineyard, the whole process of elaboration of Armagnac, essential phases in the circuits of the still, ranges of colors, aromatic palettes…. It is necessary to transpose all this into plants, a pathway of plants representing all that is Armagnac. There will therefore be a small lake, small bridges, then 11 sensory gardens ambiences each representing a stage in the production of Armagnac… We will play on the colors, the aromas, the types of soil but also on the varieties of plants and materials used (wood, copper…). It will be fun, directly related to Armagnac and contemporary art, immersed in nature but also a living and changing artistic work through the seasons! In short, everything I love!