Louis & Charlotte Pérot - L'Ostal Levant
Puy L’Eveque - Cahors
We were introduced to Louis and Charlotte Pérot by our good friend Simon Busser who makes stunning wines in the nearby commune of Prayssac. Louis was loitering outside a salon in Angers with a bottle of his second vintage. The Pérots left Paris and bought a house and winery at the end of 2015. Having spent some time with Simon learning how to work the soil and understanding the subtleties of Malbec/Côt, they began to make their own wine.
Perched above the Lot outside Puy l'Eveque, where Louis and Charlotte settled, the soils are heavy clay, rich in iron deposits and a sub soil of limestone rock, very different from the sandier soils down by the Lot that Simon has. The bulk of the vineyards are planted around the house, mostly old plantations of Côt. But Louis and Charlotte began planting small amounts of new vineyards in 2016/17 some more Côt but also trials of different varieties. In an experimental spirit have planted white varieties - Loin de L'Oeil, Mauzac and Chenin along with a massal selection of Côt de Touraine, Syrah, Muscat and the hybrid Chamboursin. These are all in small quantities but as the vines get older it will be interesting to see what they can bring from this area dominated by Côt.
The perception of wines from Cahors is that of inky darkness marked by fearsome tannins. But the Pérots manage to make wines that have such a mineral lift to them whilst maintaining the richness of colour and weight of Côt.
Wines from Ostal Levant
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Côt
Style: Red
Size: 75cl bottle
Alc.: 11.5%
Notes: A new whole bunch maceration of Malbec from Charlotte and Louis. There’s some lovely green, crunchy tannin, balanced by savoury hedgerow fruit. Light, great with a barbecue and could even be slightly chilled.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Côt (Malbec)
Style: Red
Size: 75cl bottle
Alc.: 12.5%
Notes: From a 40 year-old plot just the other side of the hill, the fruit is destemmed and macerates for 10 days with no pigeage for a gentle extraction, aged in barrels. This is a touch plumper that 2021, with broader tannin, a crunchy edge and richer fruit.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Côt (Malbec)
Style: Red
Alc.: 12%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Another lovely expression of côt from one of Louis and Charlotte’s Duravel parcels planted in late 1970s. Full of fruit and woody spices with a long, silky finish – a homage to the winemaker Anselme Largeteau (Louis’ late grandfather).
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Chenin Blanc, Mauzac, Loin de l’oeil
Style: White
Alc.: 12.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A firm favourite of ours! From vines planted in 2016/17 by Charlotte and Louis, this is direct pressed and aged in old barrels on the lees. Herbaceous and mineral up front, with some juicy Comice pear notes and aromatic spice. Beautiful!
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Chenin Blanc
Style: White
Alc.: 12.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A direct press of these vines planted in 2016/17 by Charlotte and Louis, aged in old barrels on the lees. Very pure, chalky mineral core, with some opulence and structure. This is lovely, and opens up beautifully with some time.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Muscat à petits grains, Chenin Blanc
Style: White/Orange
Alc.: 12%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A new maceration of Muscat and Chenin from Ostal Levant. On the nose this is intensely aromatic (full of jasmine and orange blossom), but this is more mellow on the palate, balanced by classic Chenin opulence and a salty mineral edge.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Chambourcin
Style: Red
Alc.: 11%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A hybrid variety that Louis and Charlotte planted in 2016/17, this is light and fresh, with a distinctly grape-y flavour. There is still the Pérot’s characteristic punch and bite of minerality and fresh acidity.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Field Blend of 12 varieties including Côt, Merlot
Style: Red
Alc.: 10.5%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A new cuvée from Charlotte and Louis (at least for us). This is lighter in body than most of their wines, but gosh does it have some beautiful complexity and length. Bramble-y fruit with sherbet-y pops of acidity, racy acidity, and in the background the base notes of Côt and Merlot giving structure.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Côt
Style: Red
Alc.: 12%
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: A stunning take on côt – the fruit comes from an old parcel in Grezels planted on limestone and clay. The fruit is destemmed, and vinification takes place in fibreglass tanks and one small barrel before blending. Leafy, grippy tannin, and a wonderful fruit-driven core with notes of stewed plums, blackberry and damsons.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Côt (Malbec)
Style: Red
Size: 75cl bottle
Notes: Côt from their oldest parcel above Puy l’Eveque. Twelve days of maceration make this a more supple wine with softer tannins whilst retaining the depth and structure one associates with Côt. All balanced by lip smacking acidity and refreshing minerality.
Producer: Ostal Levant
Region: Lot, France
Grapes: Côt, Merlot, Syrah, Chambourcin, and Chenin Blanc
Style: Red
Size: 75cl bottle
Alc.: 12%
Notes: It has been quite a few years since we’ve had this cuvée from Charlotte and Louis, and we are so excited to share it with you all. It’s equal parts spiced, earthy, and crunchy, while still having a floral lingering fruit.