Dense and complex, an elegant black wine of natural distinction.

A wine made in the true tradition of the black wine of Cahors (100% malbec) by careful selection of grapes from our best vines, followed by skilful management of the aging, to allow the passage of time to shape this cuvée into a nectar to be savoured and shared among true winelovers.
           
Portrait of the wine …

The colour is deep purple with luminous highlights.

The nose is most expressive and balanced, revealing aromas already well developed and softened.   The overall impression is of pâtisserie - ground almonds, cocoa, sweet oriental spices and matured alcohol.
In the mouth it is well-rounded and gives a firm promise to evolve into a wine which is rich and concentrated: dark fruits - bramble and blackcurrant – with notes of acacia flowers and forest floor.

The dishes to choose…

At the table this wine is a fine accompaniment to duck or game stew, or to eel cooked in a wine sauce.

Soil:  siliceous-clay with outcrops of gravel.

Variety:  100% Malbec, moderate plantation density, mature vines

Viticulture:  the vineyard is grassed between the rows.  In spring, unwanted shoots are removed; in June, leaves are removed from the morning-sun side only.  In July, bunch removal is carried out to reduce the crop, along with a second manual leaf removal at the level of the bunches to aid natural airing.
     
Wine-making:  the grapes are harvested manually and collected in small containers to keep them intact and minimise the risk of oxidation before the grapes are destalked and put into the fermentation vats.
Once in the vats, the grapes are macerated at low temperature for 48 hours to extract pre-fermentation aromas.  The fermentation then starts and is followed by further maceration at 30°C for 10-12 days, but avoiding the extraction of the more aggressive tannins.
        
Aging:  The wine is aged in 400 litre barrels for 24 months.

One variety, one terroir

Portrait of the vineyard …

When the vineyard was planted on the terraces of the Lot, the stocks were twinned and the rows largely spaced.
Nowadays, this landscape gives back a singular peculiarity.
The age of these patches requires a sustained farming, vinification and ageing express faithfully the original style of a variety appropriate to its land of cultivation.

Portrait of the wine …

Colour luminous black, with violet reflections.
 The nose is concentrated and seductive; the complexity of the wine is immediately evident.  The aromas blend and intertwine…cedarwood, leather, truffle but also hyacinth, iris, peony.
In the mouth the tannins are silky and enhance the sensation of richness and aromatic intensity – the heavyweight character of the 2005 vintage means that the wine is still a little closed.    Flavours of preserved black fruits are overlaid by more powerful and heady notes of spices and flowers.
Open and decant some time before serving to help this young wine to open out.
                  

Terroir: chalky-clayey terrace, with outcrops of gravel

Variety: 100% malbec, planted in a moderate density, old patches.

Vine training: this patch is under grass, “epamprée” and twinned in spring, leaves in the east are thinned out in June. In July, there was a green harvest and a second manual thinning out at the level of the bunches to aerate them naturally.

Vinification: Harvest is made by hand, the collected grapes are put down in small crates, then directly conveyed to the winery. The bunches are thus kept intact, to limitate oxydation risks, until destemming.
When vatted, grapes macerate in low temperature for 48 hours to extract prefermentary aromas. Then fermentation starts and goes on with warm maceration at 28° for 10 to 12 days, without trying to extract too powerful tannins.
For this cuvée, there were two treadings and pumping over a day for the first six days.

Maturing: Part of the wine stays in barrels to make it supple, then is blended. This year, 25% of wines matured in oak barrels were part of the final composition. The stay remains short to limit the olfactory influence of wood, which would otherwise dominate and mask the natural aromatic potential of the wine.

One moment, one spirit,

Portrait of a style …
       
Thanks to the right choice of terroir and an adapted vinification, malbec is a variety which is able to express intensity and tonic fruity , perfect for a friendly and unprepared occasion.
L’Abreuvoir is a cuvée made in this esprit, and when chilled, matches terrines or grilled meats, to share moments with friends.
It should be drunk immediately, without any further maturation, to keep all its style.


Portrait of the wine …

A brilliant rich garnet colour.
The nose has an initial freshness with rich promise. The first tone is softened with the perfume of fresh baking, red fruits and cherries. This develops into a suggestion of spring flowers.
In the mouth, from the biginning this wine has a liveliness which defines the caracter of this vintage with smooth accents. The tannin is subtle but defined and not over powering , gives a fullness of flavour to the wine and brings out the floral tones of Lilac and violets. The wine is well balanced and pleasing , smooth and soft.

Terroir: Sand limonous hill with gravels, exposed in the south.

Variety: 100% malbec, planted in a moderate density.

Vine training: this patch is under grass, “epamprée” and twinned in spring, leaves in the east are thinned out in June. In July, there was a green harvest and a second manual thinning out at the level of the bunches to aerate them naturally.

Vinification: Harvest is made by hand, the collected grapes are put down in small crates, then directly conveyed to the winery. The bunches are thus kept intact, to limitate oxydation risks, until destemming.
Within the first 48 hours, a low-temperature maceration (14°) permits the extraction of fruity aromas. Then fermentation starts. The temperature is thermo-regulated at 28°.
For this cuvée, made in open vats; there were pumping over for the first five days and devatting
on the 6th day, to limit the extraction of tannins and in order to let further evolution develop predominant fruity aromas.

Maturing: expression and balance of this wine is made by itself, sheltered from oxygenation in stainless steel tanks until bottling.