La Calmette
Cahors
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Maya Sallee &
Nicolas Fernandez -
Trespoux-Rassiels
Cahors, France -
Certified Organic
Certified Biodynamic
Located in the south-west of France, two hours north of Toulouse, Cahors is an area rich in history that predates the Middle Ages. Côt, the local name of Malbec, is king here.
La Calmette was established in 2015 by Maya Sallée and Nicolas Fernandez, having discovered via Fabien Jouves, a side of Cahors they didn’t realise existed.
Maya grew up in Latin America, her father was at the forefront of fair-trade coffee in France, working directly with growers over 30 years ago. Nicolas, originally from Rioja, moved to the French Basque when he was young. With Oenology and agronomist degrees, they have travelled extensively and have experience working at Château Margaux, Opus One and Domaine Gauby in Rousillon.
There are two distinct terroirs of the Cahors appellation: the alluvial valley of the Lot river, and the limestone plateau. La Calmette are located in Trespoux-Rassiels, on the limestone causses overlooking the village Cahors. Maya and Nicolas’s 10 hectares of vineyards situated on the plateau. The soils here are what make these wines truly remarkable, a mix of clay limestone, Kimmeridgian limestone and Siderolithic. Kimmeridgian limestone is most famous as the bedrock for Chablis and Sancerre, it brings minerality and acidity to the fruit. Siderolithic are iron rich clay soils bringing umami and texture.
All vineyards have been farmed organically since the beginning. Certified in 2019 and attaining biodynamic certification in 2020. La Calmette are committed to a regenerative agricultural approach, including no till and carbon sequestering, their living soils have an abundance of biodiversity.
Historically, 15% of wine produced in Cahors was white, until 1970 when the AOC was introduced. In 2018 Maya and Nicolas grafted a half hectare plot of merlot to white varieties: Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Sylvaner and the local indigenous variety Noual. Since 2020 they have planted new plots with white grapes.
Nicolas and Maya believe in assemblage of vintages, especially when faced with several hot and dry years. Ensuring a complete wine, they find — when necessary — the blend of the two vintages more balanced and whole than the individual expression of each.
La Calmette are Malbecs which marry supple fruit with mineral tension.
The Wines
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Varietal Malbec
Colour Sparkling Red100% Malbec, an assemblage of directly pressed fruit, the other component macerated. Bottled as a method ancestral, disgorged after 12 months.
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Varietal Noual / Sauvignon / Sylvaner / Chenin Blanc
Colour WhiteA new cuvee born from a more abundant harvest in 2024. A field blend of Noual the predominant component, Sauvignon, Sylvaner and Chenin Blanc. Direct pressing with a pneumatic press, aged on lees in large oak casks and used barrels for 9 months.
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Varietal Sauvignon / Chenin Blanc / Sylvaner / Noual
Colour WhiteA field blend of Sauvignon, Chenin, Sylvaner and Noual (a local variety of the Lot) directly pressed as well as a portion of the grapes seeing 3 days maceration. A long slow press is used, and élevage is for two years in an old Alsatian foudre and used barrels.
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Varietal Malbec
Colour RoséA new cuvee, the first release 2024. Directly pressed Malbec, élevaged in stainless steel tank and old barrels.
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Varietal Malbec / Merlot
Colour Red90% Malbec and 10% Merlot from several plots. Partial whole cluster, partial de-stemmed and a small component direct pressed. 7 to 15 days maceration with only a few punch downs. Aged for 12 months in concrete and stainless-steel tank.
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Varietal Malbec
Colour Red100% Malbec from the three distinct terroirs of the village Trespoux-Rassiels. The fruit is de-stemmed, macerated for 10–20 days and élevage on lees in concrete and older barrels for 12 months.
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Varietal Malbec
Colour Red100% Malbec from a single 0.7-hectare parcel. 40-year-old vines grow on Kimmeridgian limestone subsoil covered with iron rich red clay limestone. The parcel is north-east facing and surrounded by a forest, this plot is one of the last to ripen. De-stemmed, four weeks maceration, élevage on lees for 2 to 3 years in used barrels.
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Varietal Malbec
Colour Red100% Malbec from a single 0.8-hectare parcel of 20-year-old vines. Kimmeridgian limestone subsoil covered with white clay limestone; this plot is east facing at the top of a steep slope. De-stemmed, four weeks maceration, élevage on lees for 2 to 3 years in used barrels.
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Varietal Malbec / Merlot
Colour Red85% Malbec and 15% Merlot from a single 0.7 ha plot planted to 30-year-old vines. South-west facing, the terroir is fractured Kimmeridgian limestone bedrock with shallow clay-limestone soil. De-stemmed, 30 days maceration, aged on lees in used barriques for 2 years.
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Varietal Malbec
Colour Red100% Malbec from a single 1-hectare plot of 50-year-old vines on deep soil, siderolithic red clay rich in iron covering a Kimmeridgian limestone base. An east facing plot at 330 meters altitude. Majority of the malbec was de-stemmed, 20% remained as whole bunches, maceration for 30 days. Aged on lees in used barriques for 2 years followed by another year in bottle prior to release.