The New Black Wine

The Hidden Face of Cahors

“ Follow me on a captivating journey through the hidden face of the Cahors vineyards, where past and present merge into a cuvée shaped by history, terroir, and craftsmanship. ”

— Jean-Luc Baldès

The Origins of a
Winemaking Odyssey

Drawing inspiration from a flourishing past to better reinvent the future — such is the vision embodied in a single name. The New Black Wine is not merely the creation of a winemaker; it carries within it centuries of history.

Its name, steeped in medieval times, evokes the “Black Wine,” a nectar once crafted by the winemakers of the Lot by gently heating grape must. From this heritage, Jean-Luc Baldès has drawn both inspiration and determination to revive a forgotten method.

Named Winemaker of the Year in 1994, and the great-grandson of one of the founders of the Cahors appellation, he set out to bring this historic wine back into the spotlight.

For him, it is a way of reconnecting with his roots — and with a wine long left aside. To achieve this, he immersed himself in historical records, studied ancient Cahors texts, and dedicated one of the estate’s finest parcels to this exceptional cuvée.

The Terroir

The Malbec parcel is located in Peyre Rouge, in Floressas, in the Lot region, approximately two hours from Bordeaux.

The vine rows are planted in a north–south orientation, allowing the grapes to benefit from both morning and evening sunlight. This ensures balanced exposure without excessive heat.

At an altitude of 300 meters, sheltered from wind and frost, the vines enjoy moderate daily sunshine, enabling slow and intense ripening of the berries.

The absence of frost and the exposure to UV rays influence the structure of the tannins. The climate is semi-continental with maritime influences.

Vineyard Practices

While single Guyot pruning for Malbec may seem traditional, the distinctiveness of this wine begins in the vineyard. Intensive leaf thinning, rigorous shoot thinning, careful green harvesting, and meticulous on-vine sorting are carried out right up until the eve of harvest.

These practices ensure exceptional grape quality.
They allow the grapes to capture the final rays of autumn sunlight, enhancing the desired characteristics of ripeness and concentration.

Harvest

Part of the grapes is transported on drying racks to traditional plum ovens, where they are gently heated to ensure even drying and slight raisining.

This is where one of the secrets of The New Black Wine lies. The result is a perfect balance between warmth and freshness, between notes of candied and fresh fruit, with an intense yet refined concentration of aromas.

The grapes are carefully hand-harvested, exclusively in the morning, to preserve their freshnes.

A portion of the harvest is meticulously selected and placed in small crates, destemmed before being transferred into tanks. As Malbec is not suited to whole-cluster vinification, this step ensures optimal extraction and balance.

Vinification & Ageing

This subtle blend is first transferred into 30-hectolitre stainless steel tanks for vinification. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is carefully selected to ensure a smooth and controlled fermentation process. The final ingredient lies in Jean-Luc Baldès’ unique expertise — carefully preserved and kept secret.

Once vinification is complete, the wine is aged in barrels for the following twelve months. The barrels are evenly divided between new oak and previously used oak, in order to preserve both the purity and complexity of the wine. Toasting levels are kept moderate, allowing the wine’s natural aromas to fully express themselves.

Our Vintages

The New Black Wine

Services

SHIPPING

If this cuvée has caught your attention, we can ship it worldwide, including overseas territories. For further information, our team is available by phone, email, or directly at the estate.

RE-CORKING

We carefully replace corks that have reached the end of their life in order to preserve the integrity of your wine. Performed manually by our team, this precise operation protects and enhances the full aromatic potential of your cuvée for many years to come. For any re-corking requests, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Discover this cuvée through

Family Secrets

Nearly 200 years of history, patiently built.
Know-how once forgotten and now rediscovered, carefully passed down through generations. Precious tools, inherited from the past and preserved as such.

We reveal a part of our DNA and our memory, expressed through terroir-driven wines — past and present. A collection designed to learn, to understand, and to discover.

A three-part experience: in the heart of the vineyards, in the cellar, and finally through a vertical tasting of The New Black Wine, paired with refined gastronomy.