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The small district of Domme is located in the picturesque Dordogne region, in the historical territory of the Black Perigord, “Périgord Noir”. This part of the Perigord (there is also the White, Green and Purple Perigord, “Périgord Blanc”, “Périgord Vert”, and “Périgord Pourpre”) is much more famous for its black truffles than for its wine, although there are vineyards here too. In addition, the larger territory of the Dordogne department, which includes the historical Perigord, produces quality red, white dry and sweet wines (with appellation of Bergerac, Pecharmant, Montravel, Monbazillac), which could even compete with Bordeaux wines, since they are made from the same grape varieties. But the cunning Bordeaux merchants, the only ones with access to the international market, thanks to the Gironde estuary flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, imposed in18th century significant taxes on any wines not from Bordeaux, essentially making impossible to sell them abroad, because their prices thus became enormous. But that’s a completely different story.
History of Domme appellation
In its heyday, it can’t be said that the Domme vineyard was extensive – it accounted for about 2,700 hectares, which is five times smaller than the area of modern Bordeaux. But the cataclysms that followed one after another from the end of the 19th century (the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards, the First and Second World Wars) contributed to its desolation and disappearance. By 1960, only 540 hectares remained from 2,700 hectares, and by 1985 – only 90 hectares.
The Domme vineyard owes its revival to the residents and authorities of the district, who love and value their land. The idea of reviving viticulture appeared back in the 1980s, and after long administrative procedures and the necessary declarations, in 1994 the first 0.5 hectares of vines were planted, and the necessary infrastructure for wine production was built. The first harvest was collected in 1996, and in 1998 a winemakers’ cooperative was created, which went even further and in 2018 converted half of the vineyard area to organic viticulture. 17 winemakers stood at the origins of the revival of the local vineyard and, through joint efforts and investments, built a modern infrastructure for the production and aging of wine. Today, 25 years after its creation, starting with half a hectare of experimental vines, the cooperative has 11 members and 18 hectares of vineyards, and produces wines that are noted by judges of wine competitions.
Terroir and grape varieties
The terroir of IGP Vin de Domme (one of the smallest vineyards in France has its own protected geographical indication) is:
- mostly clay-calcareous soils, suitable for Bordeaux varieties
- calcareous plateaus
- good exposure of vineyards to the sun
- altitude from 100 to 250 meters above sea level
- some oceanic influence that reaches the Perigord from the Atlantic
- the climate-moderating influence of the Dordogne River
The last two features are characteristics of the IGP Vin de Domme, thanks to which the grapes achieve better phenolic ripeness and acquire a good tannic structure. White varieties are planted on calcareous soils, which give them freshness, acidity and a slight minerality.
Tasting: Vin de Domme 2014. Périgord Noir. Les vignerons des coteaux de Céou
Color: medium intensity, ruby with distinct garnet hues.
Nose: Vibrant, with a pleasant fruity juiciness of still perceptible primary notes (fresh red cherry, red currant, strawberry, raspberry), floral bouquet (rose, violet, wild flowers), herbs (fresh mint), spicy notes of barrel aging (licorice, cloves, caraway sseds) and pronounced, but harmoniously envelopped into the bouquet, tertiary notes of dried berries, undergrowth and dried mint.
Palate: A drinkable wine with a fruity attack (red cherry, red currant, blueberry, black cherry) and spicy notes in the aftertaste. A hint of coffee, undergrowth and sweet spices is also felt. Tannins are fine-grained, soft and barely noticeable, but the acidity is quite high. Medium (-) body and a fairly long finish.
Overall impression and quality assessment: a good wine that has recently passed the peak of its development (the clarification on the label indicates 8-10 years of aging). In the bouquet, you can still feel notes of fresh fruit, which are gradually transformed into dried berries, but tertiary hints of development are already appearing, the tannins have almost completely softened, and the acidity is beginning to dominate a little. It was not worth storing the wine any longer.
Matching with food: a classic from the southwest of France would be a good match – a quality beef fillet steak or duck breast, as the wine still has a good tannic structure, with a garnish of fried porcini mushrooms or puree with truffle oil, as the bouquet already has tertiary mushroom notes.
