This is a rare, carbo, vin de soif from Château Combel La Serre (Julien Ilbert) who works a whopping twenty-two hectares of vines in and around Cahors, Southwest France.

Tasting Notes: Young, bright and light take on Southwest Malbec (aka Côt, aka Auxerrois) which has a reputation for being much bigger, hotter, and more traditional. Black fruit and spice tell the story here, with an easy-going thirst quenching bottle of light red being the conclusion.

Vinification: From David Bowler's wonderful website:

"100% Malbec (aka Auxerrois in local parlance). From a pebbly 1.35-hectare parcel on clay-limestone soils juste derrière chez Carbo-- “from behind the house of Carbo”—the double-entendre name “Carbo” being a reference to vineyard neighbor Monsieur Carbonier as well as the vinification method. Farming of these 35-year-old vines is certified-organic and harvest is by hand. The whole clusters are carbonically macerated for about 6 days in a sealed tank with CO2, before pressing and fermentation with native yeasts. The wine is classified as an IGP Côtes-du-Lot because there is no allowance in the Cahors AOC for carbonic maceration."