Bottler: Clos Troteligotte, Le Cap Blanc, 46090 Villesèque / France
In the glass
Colour
Deep purple-red.
Nose
Cassis and blackberries, goji berries and sour cherry, accompanied by blood orange zest, lingonberries, juniper, aniseed, pepper, violets and black olives.
Palate
Taut, perfectly polished tannins and a fine salinity, marked by a subtle, iron-like minerality; muscular yet lithe, with abundant energy.
Character
A cool beauty with real depth, initially reserved yet gaining increasing complexity with air in the carafe.
Pairing
Herb-crusted rack of lamb, duck breast with cassis jus, mature hard cheese.
Notes
Sulphur-free vinification with spontaneous fermentation and 24 months’ maturation in 20- and 30-hectolitre oak foudres; bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Deep, dense purplish red – dark and concentrated in the glass.
Nose
Cool elegance and restraint, with a palpable depth beneath. Cassis and blackberries meet sour cherry, lingonberries and a hint of blood orange zest. Alongside these are spicy notes of juniper, aniseed and pepper, floral touches of violet, and a dark trace of black olives.
Palate
Taut, muscular and sleek all at once. The perfectly polished tannins carry a subtle, iron-like minerality – almost bloody, almost rusty, utterly distinctive. A fine saltiness runs across the palate. The wine remains somewhat closed at first, yet opens up layer by layer when given air in a carafe. A cool beauty brimming with energy.
Finish
Long, precise and marked by deep minerality – the salty, ferruginous trace lingers on.
Terroir & origin
The grapes come from micro-parcels at 350 metres’ altitude within Clos Troteligotte – an estate that sits like an island amidst oak forests and wild meadows. The Tertiary-era siderolithic clay-limestone soil is rich in iron and shapes the unusual minerality of this Cahors. Geologically related to the Kimmeridgian limestone that also defines Chablis.
Grape variety & vinification
100% Malbec – known here as Côt – hand-harvested, destemmed and spontaneously fermented. Gentle extraction, long maceration, followed by 24 months’ ageing on the fine lees in 20- and 30-hectolitre oak foudres. No fining, no filtration, no added sulphur – the name “Sans Sulfite Ajouté” is to be taken literally.
Food recommendations
The taut structure and ferruginous depth call for substance: herb-crusted leg of lamb, duck breast with a pepper crust, beef tartare or grilled aubergine with black olives. Equally a serious match for game dishes or hard mountain cheese.
Special features
Emmanuel Rybinski has been working according to Demeter guidelines since 2017 – farming biodynamically, using horn manure, compost teas and spontaneous fermentation. K-lys forms part of his own alphabet: K-nom, K-or, K-lys – each letter a cuvée, each with its own character. This one reveals the floral, mineral side of Malbec – a Cahors that proves freshness and drinkability rather than sheer tannic weight. Decanting recommended.
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