With only a few vintages under their belt, Maya and Nicolas of Domaine La Calmette are exactly the kind of young vignerons we like to discover. They met while studying agronomy and oenology and quite early on knew that they want to make wine together. Starting in 2016 with just one hectare of Malbec, they have chosen to settle in Cahors and buy more plots in Trespoux – Rassiels – an elevated plateau towards the south – eastern edge of the appellation with mosaic of soil made of Kimmeridgian limestone and iron rich clay. Unlike in the fertile, alluvial valley of the Lot river, here at altitude of 350 metres above sea level the nights are cold and the days hot, which gives the wines precise features: exuberant aromatics and very fine-grained tannins. This allows the signature grape of Cahors – Malbec to express itself differently. The 7 hectares of Domaine La Calmette are farmed biodynamically, with nearly all of work done manually. Maia and Nicolas adapt light-handed approach towards the winemaking (wild fermentation, minimal SO2 and a patient élevage). Those are wines made with a lot of attention, love, and respect for the vineyards. Juicy and fresh, with ripe, healthy fruit and a strong mineral backbone – a contemporary, less rustic interpretation of Malbec, full of youthful energy and verve – just like the couple who makes them.