Valerie, a honologist who purchased 22ha of land in Cahors, and Auxerrois (Malbec) on calcareous soil grow elegantly and minerally. The four varieties were vinified separately, pressed, fermented in cement tanks, and aged in cement tanks and amphora. You can also enjoy the black garnet color, cassis and black cherry, the scent of wood, the firm acid and the tannins that slowly appear on the surface, and the nuances of blackberries afterward.
When you hear Cahors, you probably think of the "black wine" of the southwest region.It has a long history and has been around for a long time, but the sun is strong and the grapes with strong tannins are cultivated, so it is often used as Bordeaux wine. It is said to be blended. However, in fact, it was relatively late to be certified by AOC in 1971. The location is a wide range from Bordeaux to the south to the big city of Toulouse. And since it is a production area that spreads along the Lot River that meanders 40km from west to east, the taste is quite different between the east and west. There are still many producers who grow grapes, sell grapes, and do not make their own wine. So in Japan, this AOC has not been seen so often for a long time. Because of that, the reality is that people don't really care about the difference in taste of this production area.
The west side is along the coast, and the climate is warm with little difference in temperature. Therefore, the harvest date is almost two weeks earlier than in the east. Perhaps in Japan, the image of western wine is Cahors. Red-only AOC must contain at least 70% Malbec. Other red grape varieties include Merlot, Tana, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. It seems that there was also a variety called Jurançon Noir, which is rarely seen now, but I don't know. Malbec is also called Auxerrois or Cot locally, but by the way, the same Cot is pronounced Cot in the Loire. Valerie was born on June 28, 1973 in the town of Tarbes. Valerie's parents were not wine related, but they were very interested in wine making and graduated from Toulouse University brewing department. I used to work as a winery in Provence as an onologist, but I wanted to make my own wine, so I chose the southwest region of my birthplace. Purchased a 22ha field near the Pyrenees. Her husband is also an onologist, so he sometimes helps her with Domaine. Valerie is the mother of a 9-year-old boy named Leo and has two spaces in her life. I have two houses, and I go back and forth between them. One spends his time as a winemaker at Cahors' house and makes wine. As a mother, I spend time with my children in a house in Provence. This kind of new style of living is kind of nice. Currently, the number of female brewers in France is increasing, but France's child-rearing policy is substantial, so it is now possible to balance work and family. The number of female brewers will continue to increase. The owner of the previous field was not bio, but changed to biodynamic after she bought it. From 2022, the third year, both Ecosale and Demeter will be officially certified as bio. Luckily, we were able to start with the cooperation of Mr. Mathieu Cos, the owner of Domaine Cosse Maisonnesuve, who has been making wine in Cahors biodynamically since 1999. His wines are truly elegant and tasteful styles, natural wines with Valerie's feminine sensibility.
I asked her "Why did you choose biodynamic?" The answer is very Valerie's answer, "It's a supplement for me, it's indispensable." It sounds very charming, unpretentious and natural. The field that Valerie bought has a continental climate on the east side. The calcareous Malbec there is elegant, not a heavy Malbec. Grapes are rich in minerals. And the clay soil is planted with Merlot and other varieties, and half of the field was planted in 1968, and now has a good taste as VV. Half of the vines were planted in 1970-1980 and are now in full swing. My first visit on September 30, 2020 was also the cabernet franc harvest. Although the Loire is more north, Cahors here in the east is really late to harvest. Of course, Cahors in the west is over. Last year it started on September 18th. It was also very hot in the Loire, and for the first time we started harvesting at the end of August. So I think that the image of Cahors in the East that everyone thinks is quite different. Harvesting is done by 25 harvesters, but since the harvest dates differ for each variety, some of the grapes have no choice but to be mechanically harvested. And basically all grapes egrape 90-100%. And since she is an onologist herself, she puts in 10-15mg of SO2 at the end. Please try the red wine from Japan for the first time. (2021.10.29 2nd visit by Junko Arai)
