Causse Du Theron 'Terrasse' Cahors

In 2013, winemaker Antonio Morescalchi (of Altos Las Hormigas in Argentina) visited Cahors, with world-renowned soil and vineyard mapping expert Pedro Parra, to learn more about the origins of Malbec. The appellation's soil diversity fascinated the duo, especially in the vineyards planted on Kimmeridgian limestone terraces known as ‘causses’. With the help of their friends, famed winemakers Leo Erazo and Attilio Pagli, they selected two vineyards owned by a local family as the focus of Causse du Théron, their Cahors Malbec project. The Causse du Théron wines are named after these vineyards.

Planted on alluvial soil, the ‘Terrasse’ vineyard sits in a valley that is easily accessible, making it well placed to be harvested by machine. Once picked, the wine is fermented using indigenous yeasts in cement tanks and aged for a year before bottling. The final ‘Terrasse’ wine is incredibly pure, with expressive notes of ripe mulberry, blackberry and spice on the nose with fresh acidity and velvety tannins on the palate.

Conversely, the ‘En Pente’vineyard is planted on steep Kimmeridgian limestone terraces which must be harvested by hand. Like ‘Terrasse’, ‘En Pente’ is fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks but is aged for two years rather than one. The result is a vibrant, yet intensely complex Malbec expression, with notes of blueberry and raspberry fruit, mouth-watering acidity and plump, round tannins.

The Causse du Théron wines may offer different expressions of Cahors Malbec, yet they share long, scented finishes and a unique ability to display bright Malbec fruit with a finesse unmarred by oak.

Malbec,

Situated in the western part of Cahors in the village of the Soturac, the Terrasse vineyard gives its name to this wine. The grapes are sourced from a 2.5 hectare selected plot in the 12-hectare Terrasse vineyard, which is located in a valley on alluvial soil rich in calcium carbonate. The vines are 40 years old, resulting in a wine of excellent concentration.

The 2021 vintage in Cahors was challenging with spring frosts reducing yields considerably. However, conditions during the summer were ideal and the fewer grapes underwent a perfectly paced slow ripening. Though quantities were down, quality was excellent and the grapes harvested had concentrated flavours and balancing natural acidity. The grapes were machine harvested. After careful sorting at the winery, fermentation took place in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks using ambient yeasts. The wine spent between 15-21 days on its skins with gentle pump overs to aid extraction. Unoaked, the wine then aged for 18 months in cement tanks to allow it to mellow. The wine was lightly filtered prior to bottling, however, no fining took place.

The ‘Terrasse’ has ripe mulberry, blackberry and spice on the nose with fresh acidity and restrained tannins on the palate. The finish is long and perfumed. This wine displays alluring, bright Malbec fruit with a finesse that is unmarred by oak.

The racey acidity makes this a great paring for a well hung steak or mature cheeses. This Malbec is of course a lovely paring for roasted vegetables.