Jean-Luc Baldès Clos Triguedina 2019, Cahors AOC, South West France

Clos Triguedina is the estate wine of Jean-Luc Baldès, and the cuvée that best expresses the family’s long history in Cahors. It comes from vineyards around Puy-l’Évêque in the Lot valley, where Malbec, known locally as Côt or Auxerrois, has been grown for centuries. The wine is predominantly Malbec, with Merlot adding fruit and suppleness and a little Tannat for backbone, and it is aged in barrel before release. It is made to show the true character of Cahors rather than lavish oak.

In the glass it is deep, almost inky purple. The nose reveals dark plum, blackberry and black cherry with violets, liquorice and savoury, earthy notes. The palate is full-bodied and structured, with ripe dark fruit, a firm but well-integrated tannic frame, fresh acidity and a long, savoury finish.

Serve at 16–18°C, decanted if young, with duck confit, cassoulet, roast lamb, steak, game or hard cheeses. Jean-Luc Baldès Clos Triguedina is enjoyable now with hearty food, but this is a Cahors built to age and it will continue to develop for 10 years or more.

Clos Triguedina is one of the great family estates of Cahors, set in the Lot valley around Puy-l’Évêque. The Baldès family’s story here began in 1830, when Étienne Baldès planted the first parcels, and the vineyard was completely replanted after phylloxera in the 1880s. Thanks to a favourable microclimate it was only partly hit by the 1956 frosts, so it still has some unusually old vines. Today Jean-Luc Baldès, widely regarded as a master of Malbec, runs around 70 hectares across Puy-l’Évêque, Vire-sur-Lot, Floressas and Touzac, planted mainly to Malbec with smaller amounts of Merlot and Tannat. The soils are regularly ploughed, treatments are kept to a minimum and the estate holds Qualenvi environmental certification.