L'Enclos des Braves: natural wines in Gaillac
L’Enclos des Braves was established in Rabastens in 2005, right in the heart of the Gaillac appellation. Nicolas Lebrun, a trained oenologist who had previously gained extensive experience at numerous estates in Gaillac, has been at the helm since its inception. His daughter Marion joined him in 2025 to carry on the estate’s spirit and commitments.
At the Enclos des Braves estate, the decision to adopt biodynamic viticulture (since 2011) reflects a commitment to life, the vines and biodiversity. The grapes are harvested by hand and vinified without the use of additives.
The aim is to offer terroir-driven wines and showcase the grape varieties and traditional expertise of Gaillac, by selecting local and heritage varieties that ensure the wines retain their distinctive character.
Using very few added sulphites, Nicolas and Marion Lebrun strive to produce lively wines that are true to their character.
The terroir of the Enclos des Braves estate
The Enclos des Braves estate is situated on the lower slopes of the right bank of the Tarn in Gaillac. It benefits from clay-limestone terroirs with soils up to 3 metres deep, providing the vines with a good water supply. This terroir is influenced by the Atlantic’s maritime humidity and Mediterranean heat, with the Autan wind, which is a great ally for the vines!
Patchwork work
The Enclos des Braves vineyard is characterised by numerous micro-terroirs. Convinced that the elements of the farm interact with one another, Marion and Nicolas Lebrun take care to nurture the environment around the vines: agroforestry, natural grass cover and plant cover crops, shallow tillage, biodynamic practices… They also work to preserve living heritage by selecting local and heritage grape varieties that ensure the wines’ distinctive character.
The philosophy of L’Enclos des Braves in Gaillac
- In search of a living soil
- Positive biodiversity
- Biodynamics
- Respect for and regeneration of plant material
In search of a living soil
With soil conservation as their primary aim, Nicolas and Marion Lebrun limit the use of machinery, particularly when the soil is too wet. They work the soil by alternating between tilled and untilled rows from one year to the next to prevent soil compaction.
Permanent natural grass cover helps to encourage the growth of a wide variety of plants, which naturally aerate the soil.
The resulting soil porosity allows microorganisms to thrive deep within the soil and naturally enrich it. The vines can thus draw nutrients from deep within the soil and make full use of the terroir’s mineral content.
Positive biodiversity
Natural grass cover and agroforestry are practised at the Enclos des Braves. With a variety of fruit and honey-producing plants that provide a staggered flowering period for a multitude of insects. These insects also attract predators: a virtuous food chain is established between birds, rodents and birds of prey. Wild areas are preserved in various parts of the vineyard: ivy, brambles, embankments, copses and meadows. In addition, isolated trees and hedges are planted every 12 rows to ‘break up’ the monoculture. Alongside these natural habitats, beehives, tit boxes and bat boxes provide a home for wildlife.
Biodynamics
The practice of biodynamics fosters a way of thinking, observing and caring for crops with humility. Unfortunately, protecting the vineyard is essential, particularly against fungal diseases: copper is used against downy mildew and sulphur against powdery mildew. The use of plants in the form of herbal teas or decoctions helps to reduce the doses of copper and sulphur. Spraying mixtures are therefore supplemented with herbal teas made from horsetail, nettle, willow, meadowsweet, yarrow, comfrey or essential oils. Nettle manure or whey are valuable allies.
This has been the case for the past 15 years: an average of 1 kg of metallic copper per hectare per year, which is well below the maximum permitted dose in biodynamic farming of 3 kg per hectare per year.
Respect for and regeneration of plant material
Pruning helps to shape and keep the vine low to the ground, even though it is a climbing plant that naturally seeks to grow upwards towards the light. Pruning helps to regulate the vine’s vigour and the next harvest, but has serious consequences for the plant’s long-term health.
That is why, at the Enclos des Braves vineyard, Nicolas and Marion have been practising gentle pruning for many years, taking care to respect the flow of sap. The principle: avoid ‘cutting back to the stump’ by leaving stubs to prevent the formation of desiccation cones that block the sap vessels; consider the location of pruning cuts in relation to sap flow; and limit the number of pruning cuts by practising debudding.
This light pruning and the practice of debudding help to reduce wood diseases and prevent the vines from dying back. There is a real need today to develop techniques that enable plant material to be preserved for longer, and light pruning is one such technique.
(Source: Domaine de l’Enclos des Braves)