Although Lo Domeni in the Cahors vineyard is classified among the small estates, the wines produced there by Pierre Pradel are particularly demonstrative of all the nuances that make up the potential richness of the Malbec grape variety.
The advent of the cellar
Lo Domeni has 7 hectares of vines cultivated in organic conversion. Since 2004, Pierre Pradel has been at the head of this family estate. Previously his father was manager of Château Lagrézette whose silhouette dominates the horizon of the vineyard. The harvest at that time was not vinified at the property. It was not until 2006 that the vinification was now carried out in the Lo Domeni cellar. Pierre Pradel's high standards, his taste for the sincere expression of Cahors wine, have led him to produce vintages that demonstrate the resources of the Malbec grape variety.
The sincerity of the vine
In Lo Domeni, the spirit of winemaking is not in the blending. The vines are planted with 100% Malbec. No concession is made to arranged marriages: the wines of Pierre Pradel speak pure Cahors. His desire to establish his wines in a register of great sincerity led him to two determined acts: first to subscribe to an organic approach whose label is announced for 2019, then to vinify only from indigenous yeasts. . A logical consequence follows from his approach: the nuances of his cuvées exploit the plot selections and vinifications seeking full respect for the fruit.
The truth in wine
In a winemaking process entirely dedicated to the Malbec grape, both the quality of each vineyard plot and the work it entails in the cellar contribute to the expressive variations of the Malbec. As for authenticity, the use of indigenous yeasts during fermentation guarantees it. The Le Clos cuvée opens the first chapter of Pierre Pradel's style. Made from the youngest vines and crafted with delicate pump-overs, it offers a glimpse into the natural qualities of Malbec, firmly rooted in the fruit. The Vendémia , more sophisticated, begins with hand-harvested grapes. It is then vinified in oak casks and worked with manual punch-downs, undergoing longer fermentations. The final cuvée results from a blend produced during a second phase of vinification, carried out in both barrels and concrete tanks. Here, the wine reveals itself with denser aromas and mellow tannins. Finally, the V pour finir (V for finishing) is the most demonstrative cuvée of Lo Domeni. Made using manual punch-downs and pump-overs, aged in barrels, it gives Malbec its structural strength which reconciles the density of the fruit with the controlled base of the tannins.