Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve

There are many great wine stories which have a history lesson at their core. From vineyards built by monks to legendary bottle-hoarding kings, France seems to specialise in linking wine and the past. In the often overlooked wine regions of southwest France, history has played a great role, but not necessarily in the usual positive ways. Winemaking here dates back to the Romans, and deposits of Kimmeridgian limestone and the presence of the Lot river snaking throughout the region create great potential for wines. But a unlucky, checkered past has kept this region from maximising that potential. First there were waves of wars and political turmoil. A lack of good transport links and competition from other wealthier nearby areas limited growth. Then in the late 1880’s Phylloxera ravaged the region, and during the slow rebuilding of the vineyards, vignerons chose the less demanding, but notably less interesting, flat areas. In 1956, the southwest suffered a terrible frost which wiped out virtually every vine. Replanting was again slow, with clones that weren’t ideal and with an eye towards profit not quality. Understandable, but unfortunate. Soon enough, Cahors locked in a reputation for making heavy, tannic, extracted ‘black’ wines from Malbec, the same grape that was handled so delicately just a few hours away in Bordeaux.

The secret among local winemakers is that the majority of the greatest sites in Cahors are still unplanted, namely the slopes between the river Lot and the upland limestone plateaus that were largely abandoned after phylloxera. For the last few decades, a small group of winemakers have relentlessly sought out these better sites and dedicated themselves to changing the image of the area with wines that maximise the unique terroir. Matthieu Cosse and Catherine Maisonneuve are leading this charge.

In a sleepy village in a truly remote corner of southwest France, Cosse Maisonneuve has slowly, carefully created a renaissance for Malbec. Fifteen years ago, the duo took over a small estate of old-vine Malbec, and have gradually turned the five hectares into 28, and made their mark as innovators of a modern style of Cahors. Their wines are bursting with fruit, yet refined and elegant, and far from the typical rustic Malbecs. Each wine is created differently, per the varies of terroir, resulting in wines that express a genuine sense of place– something sadly missing from the majority of Cahors wines.

The wines from Cahors should be stacked deep in the cellars of lovers of great French reds, but the false but persistent image of inky, tannic Malbecs pervades. The Cosse Maisonneuve wines are closer to a great Chinon or Pomerol, with subtle, velvety, tannins and elegant dark fruit with floral hints. Thanks to careful farming and skilled winemaking, these are  elegant, dense wines that can age for decades.

“We work WITH nature, never without or against.” 

Malbec is an especially tricky grape. It can be highly acidic but has a short picking window, does not like rich soils and is useless if overly mature. It can easily be too tannic and astringent, or over-ripe and over-extracted. The Cosse Maisonneuve style relies on lightest touch possible: they minimise all interaction with the grapes and leave the skins largely intact. Whole bunch fermentation and de-stemming are both used, as are a myriad of vessel types. Micro adaptations are made in the winemaking per vintage, plot and cuvée. Only indigenous yeasts are used, there is no fining or filtration and wines undergo long, well-controlled ageing. For every action, and every grape, their focus is always on respecting and protecting the grapes and their juice. 

"We respect the integrity of the berries. In a sense, we work with Malbec, but with colour and tannins like Pinot Noir."

The Cosse Maisonneuve vineyards are predominantly Malbec, but their own wine passions and years of learning about their terroir has led to further plantings: Merlot, Gamay and Cabernet Franc and even a small parcel of white grapes. All are cultivated organically and biodynamically, “…to create balanced soils that allow the ideal ripening conditions for making aromatically complex wines,” explains Catherine. 

They rely on their own palates to guide their winemaking. Catherine says, “We only use our nose and mouth to test and analyse the wines. We drink. This is our job.” They are also refreshingly open about sulphites, which they deem necessary and use minimally. Catherine explains, “It’s a simple truth, wine will become vinegar if not protected. And our wines are like our children, so we must protect them. But it’s important to add sulphites ONLY at the right moment.”

"Wine is the ambassador of the terroir, and a winemaker is merely an interpreter. To obtain grapes that clearly express their terroir, everything in the vineyard must be natural and respectful."