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Tag Archives: cahors

Chateau Haut Monplaisir 2018, Cahors, France

01 Friday Oct 2021

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$17, 4 stars, 89 points, cahors, france, Malbec


We went to Montreal recently and dined at a Middle Eastern restaurant that featured lots of Lamb dishes.  I selected this Malbec for its fruitiness but I was really hoping for a tannic wine to help cut the usually fatty cut of a Lamb shoulder cooked in the Tagine.  In Cahors, Malbec is known as the “Black Wine”.  It did not disappoint- Dark hued, opaque and brooding in the glass.  Black currant jam, oak, charcoal, funk and garrigue all hit me on the nose and palate where I got medium acidity and medium plus tannins.  Fresh and dry with a medium length finish of dried herbs, black licorice and jammy fruit- this 89 point wine get 4 stars from me.  You can find it for $17.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

 

 

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Chateau Vincens Malbec 2018, Cahors, France

04 Tuesday May 2021

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$15, 5 stars, 91 points, cahors, france, Malbec


In Cahors, Malbec is known as the Black wine. This particular example has 20% Merlot added, so it is not as inky as I imagined. Still, it’s a rich purple and nearly opaque. The 14.5% ABV shows off its legs in the glass. On the nose I get primal fruit flavors of plum, blackberry and oak. The palate is quite dry and tannic. Dark fruits galore with black coffee and coconut flavors are coated with searing tannins and gobs-full of acidity. The mid palate is very much fruit driven with a smidge of black tea. The finish is mouth puckering from the structural components. This wine is precisely what I wanted for the bone-in Ribeyes I am searing on the charcoal. Juicy, tannic and full of bold fruit flavors- that’s typical for the region and this grape. I now know why they tried to soften it a bit with some Merlot. It would have been a beast all on its own. I like the style, it’s kind of rugged. The mouthfeel a bit raw and primal. Overall a decent drop worthy of 91 points from me with a drinking window of 2023-2028. Open now if you like ’em young and tannic. For $15 it’s a steal that gets 5 stars. Salut….

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Lionel Osmin and Cie Cahors Malbec 2012, France

22 Saturday Jul 2017

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$12, 3 stars, 89 points, cahors, france, Malbec


Dark purple, neatly black- which is appropriate for the region.  Cherry, tar, blackberry and bramble notes on the nose.  The palate is a touch thin but has black fruits, creosote and hints of lavender.  It has a nice acidity with some very gentle tannins. Mid palate has some good juiciness made up of plums and blackberry.  The tail end is short and sweet, as in enjoyable.  Plums, earth and violets round it out.  88 points and for $12 this is a good value that gets 3 stars from me.  Salut….

Lionel Osmin & Cie Cahors Malbec

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Clos La Coutale Cahors 2013

25 Wednesday May 2016

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$12, 3 stars, 87 points, cahors, france, Malbec


I do love me some Cahors- the Black Wine of the French Southwest region made primarily from Malbec grapes.  This one was not as tannic and in-your-face as other Cahors I have tried.  A dark purple color in the glass with a nose of plum, blackberry and oaky vanilla. On the palate, very smooth intro to blueberry ganache, some purple plums and a certain spice that I can’t pinpoint. The tannins are integrated yet somewhat green. They show up on the back end with more force. The finish is decent with tannins hitting the gums and a purple fruit finish. I think this wine is at peak with another year or two before it’s too late. 87 points.  It retails for $12 and gets 3 stars from me.  Salut….

clos la coutale cahors

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Cedre Heritage Malbec Cahors 2012

05 Sunday Apr 2015

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$16, 3 stars, 88 points, cahors, Malbec


After the disappointing Chinon I was hoping for a French retribution in this bottle of Malbec from Cahors.  I love the structure of this region, where the wine is inky, tannic and not for the faint of palate.  I was not let down….Really dark in the glass- as expected.  Tar and graphite nose that were a telltale of what was coming, I was getting excited!  Stewed plum and blackberry compote on initial attack that were really interesting yet the wine was not as heavy as I expected, more fruity and uplifting.  Quite tannic as expected with a hint of acidity that rounded it out.  For the $16 I paid it was a decent effort worthy of 88 points and 3 stars.  I would drink it again without hesitation.  Salut….

cegre heritage malbec cahors

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Cedre Heritage Malbec Cahors 2011

03 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by caspernick in Wine

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$15, 3 stars, 88 points, cahors, Malbec


To put the words Malbec and Cahors together in the title is a bit redundant.  The only wines allowed in the AOC are Malbecs, a minimum of 70% with either Tannat or Syrah allowed into the blend.  It is also known as the Black Wine, due to the style in this region.  Unlike Malbecs from Argentina, this style is much more tannic, less fruit forward and much more intense.  These are generally age worthy and backwards yet can offer much up  front pleasure if treated right.

This particular bottle costs about $15 and is a great starting point for those looking to explore Cahors.  As I mentioned earlier this wine was expected to be dark in the glass, no problem- it was black.  A funky nose of tar, black fruits and oak that kept rolling over and changing was intriguing.  Tannic and brooding with some juicy acidity, plums, cola, black cherry and creosote hit the palate in stages.  Some funky notes were interplayed and I noted that this wine is less fruity yet more structured than most, belying it’s heritage and style.  We ended up running it through an aerator to try and tame some of the tannins and to help blow off some of the funk, it worked.  The wine mellowed somewhat with some air time and was very approachable.  For me this is an 88 point wine and worthy of 3 stars.  If you try a Cahors, keep an aerator on hand just in case and perhaps pair it with some hearty fare.  Salut….

cedre heritage malbec cahors

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Lionel Osmin Cie Malbec 2011

05 Thursday Dec 2013

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$13, 4 stars, 89 points, cahors, corked, Malbec


Cahors is a region in central France that produces ‘the Black Grape’.  The Malbec’s from this region are extremely dark, tannic and usually delicious.  They differ from Argie Malbecs because the South American version is far more fruit driven and the Old World style is for deeper extraction and more tannic substance, plus the terroir is totally different.

This bottle was flawed.  It just tasted bad.  It had good intentions, with an almost black appearance in the glass and some enticing aromas of Asian pear and black cherry.  On the palate, there was an off flavor that destroyed any hope of it being enjoyable.  I am not dismissing this wine just yet, I think it was corked.  It’s a shame really as the components all seemed to be in place.  The dryness of the hefty tannins was exactly what I was looking for and the acidity was there to balance it.  I may look for another bottle to re-taste.  This wine got an 89 from WE and it was only $13 which would have made it a 4 star wine.  Salut….

IMG_0515

The Black Wine

The Black Wine

 

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