CLOS TRIGUEDINA, estate winery in the Cahors AOC region of South West France. The property has monastic origins, and was later a coaching house. The Baldès family has been making Cahors here since 1830, when the vineyard was established by Etienne Baldès. The name ‘triguedina’ derives from the Occitan expression ‘il me tard de dïner’, which is taken as being in need of a drink.

OWNER | Jean-Luc Baldès. 

STAFF | Exports: Patricia Buros. 

VINEYARDS | 1995 41ha in the townships of Puy-l’Evêque, Vire-sur-Lot, and Floressas. Some vines on south-facing sites escaped the severe frosts in 1956 to leave some very old vines. Single Guyot. 5,000 vines/ha. 75% Malbec + 20% Merlot & 5% Tannat.

RED WINES

CAHORS AOC, DOMAINE LABRANDE | Entry level label. / 1994 75% Malbec, 25% Merlot. Soft, appealing, warm, quite forward, needs drinking soon at the winery on 9th April 1998.

CAHORS AOC, CLOS TRIGUEDINA | 1992 Quite evolved, tannin drying out when tasted at the winery on 9th April 1998. / 1994 Not quite as even-textured as the 1995 when tasted at the winery on 9th April 1998. / 1995 75% Malbec, 20% Merlot, 5% Tannat. No great weight but clean, pleasant aftertaste, well made whan tasted at the winery on 9th April 1998.

CAHORS AOC, CLOS TRIGUEDINA, PRINCE PROBUS | Prince Probus is named after the Roman emperor who repealed Domitian’s edict which banned vine planting and thus allowed vines to be planted again in Cahors and elswhere. / 1976 Debut vintage. 100% Malbec, new oak. / 1994 Somewhat dry at the finish at the winery on 9th April 1998. / 1995 Integrated oak, soft, easy entry, tannic in the middle, balanced acidity, a little overripe, clean at the winery on 9th April 1998.

THE NEW BLACK WINE OF CAHORS | This is made using an historic method Jean-Luc Baldes garnered from old documents. It involves picking Malbec grapes super-ripe, which are then heated quickly to nearly 60 degrees centigrade. The juice is run off to ferment in barrels. It is then fortified with grape spirit.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Doug Wregg, Caves de Pyrène list, July 2011.

Oz Clarke, Oz Clarke Wine A-Z (Pavilion, 2015), p93.