Clos d'Audhuy - 'Les Polissons' - Malbec - Cahors, FR - 2023

Notes from the Winery/Importer

Who would have thought that Malbec could be rendered so sheerly charming and pleasurable? The trick was a light extraction, a short maceration with pigeage and remontage, and relatively early bottling. Meet the friendly face of Cahors’ famous “Black Wine”. This new vintage is indecently joyous and gulpable

Destemming Complete
Fermentation Vessel Stainless Steel
Additional Fermentation Notes Fermentation duration: 10 days Punchdown/ Punchover
Aging Vessel 100% Stainless Steel
Aging Duration (months) 6 months
Filtered? Yes
Fining Agents None
Yeast Protocol Spontaneous
Malolactic Conversion Yes
Added Sulfur Yes, 42 mg/L
Varieties 100% Malbec
ABV 13
Closure DIAM
Annual Production 4500 cases
Certified Vegan No
Other Wine Facts The name of this cuvée comes from combining the names of Benoit's two children, Paul and Lison. A mischievous cuvée, full of energy and savour.
Soil Types Alluvial
Elevation (meters) 150
Vine Age 30
Yields (hl/ha) 45
Farming Practices Certified Organic, Practicing Biodynamic

Notes on the Producer

Benoît Aymard makes Cahors unlike any other, the kind that converts even committed skeptics of the appellation (Hiram, our founder, among them). Trained in Burgundy before taking over the small estate his grandfather founded, Benoît brings that sensibility to his 15 organic and biodynamic hectares above the Lot River terraces: early harvest, ambient yeasts, a gravity-flow cellar, and a parcel-by-parcel approach unique in the appellation. The land he inherited is geologically complex, spanning four distinct soil types, and his flagship wine draws from Kimmeridgian limestone with a direct kinship to Chablis. He had no interest in reinventing the wheel, but has quietly put his own stamp on wines that are fresher, more site-transparent, and more versatile at the table than most of what Cahors has produced before.

Grapes & Style

Malbec

Malbec is an old southwest French grape that became famous in Argentina. In Cahors, where it’s historically known as Côt or Auxerrois, it can make dark, tannic, earthy wines; in Mendoza and other Argentine regions, it often shows a plusher, more generous side while still holding color and structure.

In the vineyard, Malbec needs warmth and sun but can lose freshness if pushed too far. It has relatively thin skins for such a deeply colored grape, and it can be sensitive to frost, coulure, and rot. In Argentina, altitude has been especially important, helping preserve acidity and aromatic lift.

In the glass, Malbec usually shows dark plum, blackberry, violet, cocoa, spice, and sometimes a smoky or earthy note. It can be soft and fruit-forward, or firm, savory, and mineral depending on place. The best versions balance their natural generosity with freshness and enough tannin to keep the wine grounded.