True, but when they’e allowed to use any one of several very different varieties of grape - duras, fer, gamay braucal and syrah as the principal cepage and to these one can add cab sauv, cab franc or merlot - without tasting, you’re buying blind. Also they seldom list the grapes on the back of the bottle. I occasionally buy Gaillac in Figeac and go by price together with the height, weight and general quality of the actual bottle!
TBH I prefer Marcillac, Cahors or Fronton, local appellations where there’s a definite style and distinctive cepage.
Sounds like you taste with your eyes Mark.
Some Gaillacs are delicious others are ordinary. I lived close to Cahors for a while and enjoyed the local wines. Again, some were very nice others not so. You can’t généralise about wine. I’m not a big fan of St Émilion as I find them quite heavy but the one I tasted about a month ago was divine.
Regarding the cépage, that’s probably the last thing I consider.
I hardly think I’m generalising as my previous posts have been quite specific. Similarly the SW appellations I mentioned each use a specific grape and have a characteristic style. I wasn’t knocking Gaillac wines, but simply observing that due to the wide variety of grapes that can be used, buying without tasting is more hit and miss than in most of the neighbouring areas.
I usually match a wine to what I’m cooking, so cepage and style are important. One stands a better chance of getting what you’re looking for if you study what’s on (or not on) the label. I’m less likely to buy a wine that I haven’t previously tasted if the bottle carries very little information. To me that seems simple common sense!