Calicem
If you follow the domaines and wines of St Emilion, especially if you have the wisdom to follow some of the successful and up-and-coming grand cru classé properties rather than the more Instagrammable superstar names of the appellation, you may well be familiar with the names and faces behind Calicem. Originally a project run as an experimental diversion, since its inception in the 2015 vintage Calicem has grown in significance and stature. Its vineyard has been expanded (slightly!), although even with the addition of a second parcel it remains microscopic and still easily overlooked. And it now also has dedicated cellars, next-door to some famous neighbours – including one or two of those Instagrammable superstars.
The production is tiny, to say the least, and the wines are not actively marketed. Indeed, if you wish to buy a few bottles, the only way to do so is to get in touch with the two individuals behind this project. And their identities? They are Xavier Jean and Denis Pomarède, best-known for their roles as proprietor and estate manager at Couvent des Jacobins.
Origins
The project has its origins in 2014, when Xavier Jean purchased a tiny 0.75-hectare parcel of vines adjacent to a parcel already part of the Couvent des Jacobins vineyard. The parcel sits on the south-west slopes of the St Emilion plateau. Rather than immediately incorporate it into Couvent des Jacobins, Xavier and Denis decided to vinify it separately, in a different style. Classification regulations would not permit this in the cellars of Couvent des Jacobins (there is a one-cellar-one-wine rule; second labels are permitted, but that certainly doesn’t describe Calicem), and so Xavier and Denis made their first vintage, which was 2015, in an old building which had previously served as a tractor shed.
