alain.alcouffe
Jefferson et le vin de Gaillac
On Jefferson, Cahuzac near Bergerac and Cahuzac near Gaillac From Jefferson’s papers, John Hailman as James Gabler conclude that Jefferson liked Cahuzac wines. Both books link these wines to the appellation “Gaillac” as there is a small village called Cahuzac at ten miles from Gaillac with many wineyards. As I was born in a wineyard in Gaillac I was very interested by these assertions and proud that wines of Gaillac have been ordered by the 3rd President of the USA. Unfortunately as far as I read their books, I suspected that there could be some confusion between Cahuzac (near Gaillac) and another Cahuzac (near Bergerac) where wine is also grown. Jefferson’s cellar was surprisingly diverse, and not limited to French wines. Even among his French wines, not all were famous names, notably the two wines from Gaillac in the southwest, Gayac and Cayusac, phonetic spellings for Gaillac and Cahusac, respectively. [..]. Jefferson ordered more Gaillac after he was back in America, but left few meaningful comments on what the 1787 version was like. He received it via Bondfield and Bordeaux, noted that it was red and that the Frenchman Gazaigner de Boyer had first sent it to John Adams hoping he would like it and thus establish an American market for his wines. footnote 16 The Cahusac or Cayusac is another Gaillac, apparently mainly white, from a property belonging to the Rochefoucauld family. This wine also arrived in cask via Bordeaux. Jefferson noted in his January 26, 1787, account book that it held 250 bottles, for which he paid only 98 F. [..] Cahusac, now called Cahuzac-sur-Vère, is a pretty town in the beautiful Gaillac region. It is likely Jefferson tried these, since he distinguishes between the dry Cahusacs and the others in his orders. And again on page 314 He had bad luck with the Cahusac, explaining to William Lee, American consul at Bordeaux: June 25, 1807 The second cask of Cahusac which you were so kind as to send me arrived a few days ago. The vessel in which it was shipped from Bordeaux had been driven to the W. Indies in distress, unloaded her cargo there, refitted and is just returned. After such a voyage and into such a climate it was to be expected that the wine would be the worse. In fact it was too much pricked for any use but that of vinegar. Knowing the superior excellence of the Cahusac sec, and that it is a wine of as much body as those of Lisbon, and will consequently bear transportation, I must trouble you again to apply to M. Caillier, Regisseur of Made. de la Rochefoucault at Cahusac near Bergerac, Dordogne, for another barrel of his oldest vin sec de Cahusac but could [you] not prevail on him to send it ready bottled. Eventually Cahuzac appear on page 343 In a pair of letters sent together in June of 1816, Cathalan told the thirsty Jefferson that the wine tap was turned back on and that the Rivesalte was good; he had tasted it himself. He also included a different red Gaillac from a village now called Peyrole, and gave him further information on where the Ledanon came from. The letters also brought news of the death of yet another old friend and wine supplier, Henri Bergasse.
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Généré: 28 October, 2018, 19:52
