Less is more – May 2017

Cahors, differently – Matthieu Cosse and Catherine Maisonneuve deliver a unexpected well-balanced wine, between presence and lightness.

When tasting this wine, the first word which comes to me is “delicacy”, not that obvious for Cahors’ wines! Indeed, on an appellation where powerful wines are often weighed down by their tannins and their alcohol, it is pleasant to discover aerial wines, with an elegant freshness. The nose is not exuberant and delivers subtly distilled notes of blackcurrant, followed by more flowered notes (cornflower). In the mouth, the aromas of black fruits persist and the pleasant tannins bring a beautiful minerality to this wine. However, La Fage does not deny the density of Malbec under these latitudes.

Last evening, at Café Chez Zinette, in Geneva, it was the good match with a lamb’s knuckle cooked with olive tapenade. It was also very pleasant by itself the next day, remembering how I was happy to discover this wine.

The estate
Cosse et Maisonneuve estate is located in Prayssac, not that far from Cahors, along the Lot river. Back in 1999, Matthieu Cosse and Catherine Maisonneuve started from scratch, worked for a time on rent lands, and then were accompanied by Lilian Bérillion, a nursery gardener recognized for his amazing work on diversity and sustainability of vines plants, in their selection of vines of Côt (or Malbec) which is planted on almost all of the fifteen hectares of the estate.

The estate proposes 5 cuvées which express very well the diversity of their terroir with big aromatic sharpness outcomes. Because of their complexity, we could believe that these wines are from older vineyards.

Cosse et Maissonneuve chose a low-intervention approach to reveal completely the personality of every vintage. Of course, the estate is driven based on biodynamic viticulture principles since the early days.

Today, these wines are quite difficult to find because the offer remains limited. If you find them by any chance, I would only recommend you to invest for your personal cellar because they have a great ageing potential.

Les Combes Basses
46700 Lacapelle-Cabanac
France
cossemaisonneuve@orange.fr
+33 (0)5 65 24 22 37

The wine
La Fage, Cahors, 2013
100% Malbec
16 euros – Wine merchant

First of the year! – Another one from Southwest France for the third wine of the month. More precisely from the Corbières with a unique rosé that presents a delicate red colour and amber reflections. Produced by Maxime Magnon who delivers a wine full of freshness, delicately spicy, made from Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault.

Distilling at the same time floral flavors with subtle fruity and mineral notes, Metisse is the perfect match for cooking from Asian inspiration such as a Thai shrimp’s broth – for its iodized notes.

The estate
Since 2002, Maxime Magnon works in Corbières, on 14 hectares. Hard work and passion are the common thread of his work and, over the year turned him into a noteworthy winegrower in the area. Elegance and balance of all his wines are often a surprise on this usually rather rustic appellation.

The estate is naturally organically-driven, also influenced by the practice of the biodynamic agriculture. His farm is an harmonious place where ovine herds graze in autumn until the beginning of spring, improving the quality of grounds on this hilly area where it is quite a challenge to use tractors.

Today, without pretending anything and at his pace, Maxime Magnon proposes, with some others winegrowers in the area, a reinterpretation of these terroirs: respect for biodiversity and a sensitivity to participate to the wealth of local landscapes and their preservation.

4 Rue des Moulins
11360 Villeneuve-les-Corbières
France
+33 (0)4 68 45 84 71
maxime.magnon@orange.fr

The wine
Métisse, Corbières, 2015
40% Grenache gris, 40% Cinsault, 20% Mourvèdre
(apparently depending on vintage)
18 euros – wine merchant

Coolness and pleasure – Knowing Dominique Andiran’s (owner of the estate) trend to produce uncompromising wines, I had planned to aerate this bottle a few hours before lunch to make sure we will fully enjoy it.

Magnus is made from the Bordeaux vines trilogy (Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) completed by Tannat, a local vine used in a number of French Southwest appellation. It is a greedy wine, with a beautiful mastered acidity that moderates the power and the ripeness under these latitudes.

No hassle with such a wine, only pleasure. It is an easy juice that shakes you up for a good moment at the apéritif or during a cool and unformal diner. No need to wait, go for it!

The estate
For those who would have slept during geography courses, Montreal is also a village of the Gers in France and not only the second city of Canada! Located in Southern France, between Grand Crus of Armagnac and the Europe’s biggest vineyard (Tariquet), the domain produced its first vintage in 2001.

Dominque Andiran proposes instinctive wines, guided by his desires. He does not refrain himself to work with vines from Bordeaux or Burgundy but also loves working with old local vines. He produces dry, sweet, under veil, etc. His wines often rise awareness of the most adventurous wine lovers, even if this means producing wines outside appellation and as Vins de France.

Place Des Arcades
32250 Montréal
France
+33 (0)5 62 29 11 56
hautcampagnau@aliceadsl.fr

The wine
Magnus, Vin de France, 2014
Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon et Tannat
10 euros – Local wine merchant

Elegance under cherry blossom trees – All things come in threes. Thus, we stay in the Southwest France, on the first Languedoc appellation which has received the certification in 1948, the famous Fitou. A too long abandoned wine-making area where there are promising things happening today.

Over the past years, my reference in Fitou was the funky Oufti! A plumpy and sensual Fitou from the newcomer Mas des Caprices in Leucate. Atsuko makes us travelling without moving, it is more toned than Oufti!, but with a beautiful length and a hint of fresh white pepper. The sweetness of its name recalls Japan and its blossoming cherry trees. Grown from old vineyards of Grenache, which were originally used to produced sweet wines from Rivesaltes appellation, until a Japanese diplomat gives the idea of a pure Grenache to Jacques Guerin, founder of the estate and the father of the current owner, Valérie Guerin.

Atsuko is a sharp and elegant wine with also density and power from the grand crus of the Southwest France, refreshed by the sea. To enjoy it, a 4 to 5 years vintage will be a must. Being produced only the best years, in very small batches (i.e. 2’000 bottles), and made from a single plot, it is a wine for exceptional moments of friendship and family gathering.

The estate
Created at the end of the 70’s, Domaine des Mille Vignes is located on the Mediterranean side of Fitou appellation, in La Palme. The estate covers about a dozen hectares of vineyards, cultivated in very low yields (25hl/ha) and according to organic-growing principles. Healthy grapes from sélections massales are used to produce wines that highlight terroir’s originality.

In the cellar, wines are produced with indigenous yeasts and long macerations to obtain perfect extractions. Red wines are aged for about 18 months in oak barrels and the white wines raised on dregs during 6 months to reveal more complex aromas and stabilize wines.

All wine from Domaine des Mille Vignes are from appellation Fitou, Rivesaltes, Muscat de Rivesaltes IGP des Pays de l’Aude.

24 Avenue San Brancat
11480 La Palme
France
+33 (0)4 68 48 57 14
les.mille.vignes@free.fr

The wine
Atsuko, Fitou, 2011
Grenache (together with Carignan et Mourvèdre in varying proportions)
40 euros – at the estate