Today, Cahors jack-of-all-trades and Renaissance man, Philippe Bernde, continues the family tradition with both heart and ingenuity. Philippes vines rest upon the gentle slopes that rise up from the Lot River. He farms sixty hectares of land along the alluvial terraces of the Lot Valley that are rich in siliceous, clay, and limestone soils. The microclimate of the vineyards is ideal, with southwest sun exposure and topographic protection against the frost. Over the years, Philippe has tinkered with the house blend to achieve a greater equilibrium. Today, the blend consists of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot, creating an intense wine that juggles elegant rusticity with everyday drinkability. Coutale has quite a record of age-worthiness as well and Philippe is not afraid to pull out older vintages of his wines alongside much more expensive Bordeaux. They stand up pretty well! Nothing beats a bcasse or cassoulet with an old Coutale, but a simple steak fits the bill just fine. Philippes genius is not only evidenced by his wineshe is also the proud inventor of a successful line of double-hinged corkscrews that stands to change your future bottle-opening experiences!

Cahors:

Traditional vinification

Grapes are sorted and de-stemmed after the harvest

Each vineyard parcel is vinified separately

Wine is fermented in stainless steel with daily punch-downs

Fermentation lasts anywhere from 15 to 18 days

Wine is blended in January and aged in foudre and 1-2 years old barrels from Bordeaux grand cru for one year before bottling