Cahors Extra Libre
Appellation
Cahors
Farming
Sustainable, Organic
Varietals
90% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 5% Tannat
Vineyards & Viticulture
The 27-hectare vineyard is planted on three parcels. Numerous passes are made in the vineyard to ensure the perfect health, quality, and ripeness of the grapes, and all the work is carried out by hand as, since 1992, no chemicals have been used. The grapes from Extra Libre come from 30+-year-old, estate vines primarily from the 1st and 3rd terraces within Cahors, as well as the plateau with limestone. The largest plot (12.5 hectares), consists of colluvial limestone; the two other plots (5.5 hectares and 7.5 hectares) are a mixture of pebble stones and ferruginous red sands on the top and siliceous earth and clay on the bottom.
Soils
Colluvial limestone; pebble stones with ferruginous red sands and siliceous earth/clay
Harvest & Vinification
Manually harvested, then sorted in the vineyards, the grapes are destemmed upon arrival in the cellar. Macerated and fermented for 30 days with daily punching down of the skin cap, followed by malolactic fermentation in concrete tanks. The wine is then barrel-aged for 12 months (barrels used twice). No added sulfur.
