In the Cahors vineyard, the path leading to the Domaine de Chantelle first runs between paths of fruit trees before reaching the banks of the Lot. The Cahors wine produced on the property is part of the tradition and typicity of the appellation.
A bucolic charm
Established on the banks of the Lot, the Domaine de Chantelle has 36 hectares of vines. Located in a cove of the river, its geographical location had in the past favored an economy based on inland waterway transport. The waterway allowed flat-bottomed barges to transport Cahors wine to the port of Bordeaux. This historic location gives the Domaine de Chantelle a bucolic charm enhanced by the beautifully restored architecture of the family property. The imprint of the past is maintained even in the cellar where Jean-Claude Brunet, the winemaker, keeps on display a whole collection of objects and tools from the wine tradition.
A spirit of remembrance
Three generations of winegrowers have contributed to the gradual growth of Domaine de Chantelle. When the Brunet family acquired it in the past, the cultivation of fruit trees coexisted with that of vines. The operation also ensured income from fishing as evidenced by the fishponds they found there. This memory of traditions still crosses the atmosphere of the place today. At Domaine de Chantelle, the spirit of an authentic Lot still permeates the winemaking methods. The vines themselves are distributed in small plots throughout the territory of the commune of Caillac. Each has a typical name such as “End of the river” or “Champ de Gleye”. At the estate, Jean-Claude and Lydie Brunet have worked hard to develop an 800 m cellar2 completed by a long aging room in oak barrels. The Cahors wine they produce is part of a woody tradition, well suited to the character of the Malbec grape.
A traditional Cahors
The range of Domaine de Chantelle wines is simple and precise. It has a 100% Malbec rosé as well as a variation around variously worked reds. The cuvée Tradition is typically expressive of red fruits and candied notes conferred by the alliance of Malbec and Merlot. With the cuvée Revelation, the grapes ripened in 3e terrace express a more powerful nose, accompanied by more marked tannins that cold maceration has tempered. While the cuvée Passion, extracted from old vines also exposed in 3e terrace, combines its notes of black fruits and spices with the toasted effects of aging in new barrels. Latest addition to the range, the A1638 bears the name of the cadastral plot where the most beautiful vines flourish. This promising cuvée highlights a 100% Malbec directly vinified then aged in barrels. Elegantly presented in a wooden case and under wax seal, the cuvée A1638 looks like a reconciliation in the purest tradition of the power of the aromas and the sweetness of the tannins.
