Cahors we Adore - A VERY special offer
We had a great tasting with Marlene Beranger from Domaine de la Berangeraie lately, which inspired us to put together a completely unmissable offer. Read on ..... By Kate
Tasting in the shop with wine maker Marlene Beranger from Domaine de la Berangerie in Cahors, South West France. She married into the family who had moved to the area in the early 70’s after a desire to live in the countryside became all consuming. Apparently, they wanted to live with ships and after initial confusion on my part, I realised she meant sheep.
They didn’t want any where already too crowed and popular and at the time, Cahors was nothing of the sort, so they settled there. The entire family still work the estate, with both children and their spouses involved in the running of the winery. They have 28 hectares in all, over 3 separate parcels, the biggest of which is on an iron rich slope, this fabulous red soil giving great tannic structure in the wines. She feels that this is typical of true Cahors and that much of the vineyard land which follows the river on the flat gives a richer, rounder wine which is not quite as authentic. Certainly, the lean elegance I love in their wines is much more my thing than the glossy fruit often found in others.
From these robust red soils, they make wines which do not seen any wood and all viticulture is complete organic although they don’t have certification. They have never used chemical products here, their position on the slope with plenty of sunshine means that for them, rots and mildews have never been a big problem. They also work by hand in the vineyards, keeping things natural.
We taste through the range, which is astonishingly good.
2005 Cuvee Juline
90% Malbec, 10% Merlot, all from their red, iron rich soils with a limestone bedrock which contributes to the incredibly clean stone minerality on the finish on all their wines. Merlot arrived in Cahors when area became an AOC in 1971. Although the blend must be at least 70% Malbec, many use up to 30% Merlot, seen as essential in lightening the dark, brooding quality of the former. At Berangeraie, they never use more than 10% are they are very keen on letting the character of the Malbec shine through.
On the palate, soft, fine tannins and fresh acidity perfectly balanced by juicy black berry fruit, a hint of spice and even some liquorices.
Malbec tends towards reduction, so they rack quite a lot during fermentation (this means that they ensure they wine gets plenty of oxygen. This process (fermentation) is long and slow, using only natural yeast and they keep the wine in bottle for a year before releasing it.
2004 Cuvee Maurin
Fantastic fruit – mainly black berries with liquorice, hints of something fresher, and spice. Very finely grained tannins, with clean, mineral finish.
Maurin, married to Marlene and lucky enough to have a great wine named after him, is the son of the family.
2004 Quatres Chambres
Wine that they keep in the cellar for 4 years, the first two in cement, which is their medium of choice for fermentation and often, ageing. They find that stainless steel gives a much more ‘standardised’ product.
This is from soil that is pure limestone, imbued with rock and the vineyard has a very southerly exposition on a steep slope.
2004 La Nuits des Rossignols
Rossignol is French for nightingales, the name of this parcel of vines. So many of them join in full throated chorus at night that there are no houses for 5 km’s around the vineyard. Sleep would be completely impossible. Soils here are pure white limestone and this is 100% Malbec. I
This is fermented in concrete tanks and then put in 2 year old barrels for a time. Much more intense nose and much chunkier on palate but added muscle perfectly balance by rich, intense fruit, spice and liquorice. Incredible length with an amazing very fresh fruit finish.
100% Malbec from their best, lowest yielding vines. This is fermented in tank with a fair amount of extraction of flavour and structure from the skins. It then goes into wood for 20 – 24 months, all of which is new. They keep it on the lees (left over bits and pieces and dead yeast after fermentation) for added glycerol in the finished wine and although they do move it around to give it air, it does remain in the same barrel throughout.
Amazingly intense fruit on nose – damson again but on palate, there is fresh fruit, spice, a hint of soy and leather, with clean limestone flavours in the mid palate and on the finish. Much more muscular and brooding but the fresh limestone elegance shines through.
If I was to do the hard sell, I would point out that this mixed case is a glorious bundle of wines you can drink with the greatest pleasure and ease now and those which you can put away for a few years or more, if you like, making it even more extra special.
Mixed case featuring 3 bottles of each of the above = £210.
Please click here to make an online purchase
They didn’t want any where already too crowed and popular and at the time, Cahors was nothing of the sort, so they settled there.
From these robust red soils, they make wines which do not seen any wood and all viticulture is complete organic although they don’t have certification. They have never used chemical products here, their position on the slope with plenty of sunshine means that for them, rots and mildews have never been a big problem. They also work by hand in the vineyards, keeping things natural.
2005 Cuvee Juline
On the palate, soft, fine tannins and fresh acidity perfectly balanced by juicy black berry fruit, a hint of spice and even some liquorices.
Malbec tends towards reduction, so they rack quite a lot during fermentation (this means that they ensure they wine gets plenty of oxygen. This process (fermentation) is long and slow, using only natural yeast and they keep the wine in bottle for a year before releasing it.
2004 Cuvee Maurin
Fantastic fruit – mainly black berries with liquorice, hints of something fresher, and spice. Very finely grained tannins, with clean, mineral finish.
Maurin, married to Marlene and lucky enough to have a great wine named after him, is the son of the family.
2004 Quatres Chambres
Wine that they keep in the cellar for 4 years, the first two in cement, which is their medium of choice for fermentation and often, ageing. They find that stainless steel gives a much more ‘standardised’ product.
This is from soil that is pure limestone, imbued with rock and the vineyard has a very southerly exposition on a steep slope.
2004 La Nuits des Rossignols
Rossignol is French for nightingales, the name of this parcel of vines. So many of them join in full throated chorus at night that there are no houses for 5 km’s around the vineyard. Sleep would be completely impossible.
This is fermented in concrete tanks and then put in 2 year old barrels for a time.
100% Malbec from their best, lowest yielding vines. This is fermented in tank with a fair amount of extraction of flavour and structure from the skins. It then goes into wood for 20 – 24 months, all of which is new. They keep it on the lees (left over bits and pieces and dead yeast after fermentation) for added glycerol in the finished wine and although they do move it around to give it air, it does remain in the same barrel throughout.
Amazingly intense fruit on nose – damson again but on palate, there is fresh fruit, spice, a hint of soy and leather, with clean limestone flavours in the mid palate and on the finish. Much more muscular and brooding but the fresh limestone elegance shines through.
Mixed case featuring 3 bottles of each of the above = £210.
