Ostal Levant Les Trilles Merlot 2019

Les Trilles is a 100% Merlot from Ostal Levant, sourced from a parcel near the village of Prayssac in the Lot department of Southwest France. The vineyard sits on alluvial topsoil over a limestone base, a soil profile that keeps the wine lean and mineral despite the warmth of the 2019 growing season. Released as Vin de France rather than under the Cahors AOC, which requires at least 70% Malbec.

The grapes are destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tank before moving to old barrels for elevage in a limestone cave dug into the hillside near the Pérots' farm at Alary. The cave environment, with its low temperatures and high humidity, preserves freshness and adds a fine, precise texture. No oenological additives are used at any stage; the wine is unsulfited and unfiltered.

The 2019 vintage in Cahors was a warmer year that produced ripe, approachable fruit. For Les Trilles, that translates to supple red fruit, tomato leaf, white pepper, and a lightly savory finish carried by naturally firm acidity. The palate is light to medium bodied with ultra-fine tannins — an unusual expression for a Southwest French red.

Ostal Levant farms organically. The wines consistently reflect the detail of their individual parcels and Louis Pérot's approach of minimal intervention from harvest through bottling.