Domaine la Calmette
-
Cahors
--
What follows below is a breathless and slightly purple description of a wine I have no qualms about declaiming the most interesting I have sampled all year.
This is not some kooky, bizarro, 'natural' experiment born out of laziness, ignorance, or a wilful desire to 'be different'; this is a thoughtful and fascinating wine that speaks of place and extending new winemaking ideas to craft something that makes us reconsider what is in the glass, not just the story behind it.
I cannot do much more than describe the wine, below, and hope your interest is piqued. - David
---
Domaine la Calmette
--
Domaine La Calmette was founded by Maya Sallee et Nicolas Fernandez in 2015, both having made wine widely with a most recent touchstone being Marcel Deiss in Alsace. They have a small number of hectares planted with a mix of varieties (explored below), and are now fully Organic and Biodynamic (Demeter). Some magic has occurred here that I am at a loss to explain. - David
"Maya Salle and Nicolas Fernandez are making waves in one of the most hidebound of regions. This young coiple, having studied agronomy and winemaking, took over Domaine La calmette .... with a mind not only toward biodynamic farming and minimalist winemaking, but for a new and difference expression for Cahors. This is a quintessentially Southwestern endeavour , with Sallee from the Perigord nearby and Fernandez from Basque country." - The New French Wine, Jon Bonne
Domaine la Calmette 2020 Vin de France Blanc 'Resurgences'
-
Shelf Price: $112.00
Offer: $97.00
-
From a tiny 0.5ha plot co-planted with Nual (an autochthonous variety), Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin, and Sylvaner. Clay-Limestone soils with Kimmerdigian bedrock. Slow, 2-year ferment in old Alsatian barrels with ambient yeast. No topping up so spontaneous flor formation. No fining or filtration, minimal sulphur at bottling (10ppm).
-
Sitting down with the importer of this wine, a bon vivant with whom we treasure our sadly irregular catch-ups, I was warned that the day's tasting may "challenge David". Yes, reader, I know I can have at times somewhat seemingly antiquarian tastes however I am at heart a hedonist ... when it comes to wine. I can be an inquisitive and exploratory taster; wine is fundamentally about pleasure for me and there can be much pleasure in experimentation.
An incredible and wild wine. A crest of VA adds tremendous lift and energy to a coruscating series of aromas: ripe yellow stone fruit, warm roofing tiles, crushed herbs, peach kernel and almond paste, ozone and petrichor, and dried apricot all vie for attention, shifting in and out of focus and leaving me a little bewildered. All of this is aromatically wrapped in aldehydic and oxidate notes, akin to some Jura and Rioja wines.
The palate is no less kaleidoscopic, almost hallucinatory. Again there is an unusual and difficult to describe structural feature to this wine that feels 'avant-garde' (in the manner of Chris Marker or Gerard Grisey); the flavours move in and out of focus, or come in waves of increasing intensity before tidally fading away. Distinct notes of flor and terracotta along with mossy rocks underscore a barrage of unusual and interesting flavours: dry earth, tidal wind, cut herbs, salted peach, cheese rind, dried honey. After one sip the finish is fresh with sea-spray and green apricot, bringing firm phenolics to bear. After another sip the finish feels dusty, firm with snapped chalk and sappy nuances, even some sweet & spicy tobacco (green Burmese cheroots).
This is a remarkable wine. I am fully aware it will not appeal to everyone. It is a challenge however that I have accepted and embraced. It is unlike any other wine I have tasted, especially structurally. Perhaps, given the cepage and oxidative handling, I sense a slight kinship with the whites of R. Lopez Heredia. But this is far out and I would think this wine should be taken on its own terms; seriously. - David
--- ---
Autumn Leaves Reds 6-Pack
(RRP: $345.00)
Offer: $295.00 (approx. $49/bottle)
-
Joshua Cooper 2024 Central and Western Victoria Claret
Salomon Estate 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon 'Braeside Vineyard'
Alessandro Stefani 2022 Yarra Valley Cabernet Franc 'Franc'
Chateau Blanzac 2018 Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux
Chateau des Laurets 2018 Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion
Chateau Senejac 2020 Haut Medoc
---
If you would like any of the above, would like to come by for a private appointment, or just have some questions please let us know.