Cahors Malbecs at Vinexpo by Dave McIntyre
Cahors had a beautiful booth in Vinexpo, next to the Wines of Argentine one. Small but striking, the Cahors booth attracted the attention of many wine professionals who stopped by to take pictures, talk to Jeremy Arnaud, the Marketing Dircetor or Laurent Marre, a Cahors sommelier as well as taste many of the wines.
Dave McIntyre was one of them. Wine and food writer, wine columnist for the Wasthington Post, Dave tasted the range of Cahors Malbecs under the learned guidance of Laurent Marre: “These were arranged from fruity and accessible to more tannic,
expressive and expensive. Yet there was an impressive continuity of style and flavors, as one would expect from a wine region that has found its voice. These are large, tannic wines for the most part, with impressive structure, lots of fruit, and minerally finish.”
His winners? Château Lamartine, Mas de Périé (organic), Le Cèdre (organic), Château La Reyne.
Thanks to Dave for such a wide tasting and his appreciation.
Cahors Malbec in New York
On May 12, New York City welcomed the UIVC, the trade body of the Cahors vintners. Cahors Malbecs were officially introduced to the wine professionals and press at the Astor Center in Manhattan.
In the morning, around 50 of them gathered in the conference room to listen to Jeremy Arnaud, Marketing Director of Cahors Wines and Elin McCoy, journalist and author. Jeremy presented the cahors region, its terroir and the specificity of its wines. Elin McCoy presentend the 7 wines she selected, while Ariane Daguin, importer of French southern food and fournder of the store D’Artagnan, explained how to pair those wines with French cooking.
Around 12:30 pm, everybody gathered in the main room to taste around 90 Cahors Malbecs from about 40 estates:
Château Armandière, Château La Bérangeraie, Château Bladinières,
Domaine le Bout du Lieu, Château La Caminade, Domaine de Cause, Château
de Cayx, Château du Cèdre, Château de Cénac, Château de Chambert,
Château la Coustarelle, Château Croisille, Château Croze de Pys,
Château Eugénie, France Malbec, Château
de Gaudou, Château Haut Monplaisir, Château les Hauts d’Aglan, Château
Hauterive, Château Lagrezette, Château Lamartine, Mas del Périé,
Château Nozières, Château Paillas, Château de Parnac, Château Pineraie,
Château Plat Faisan, Domaine du Prince, Château
Quattre, Château la Reyne, Domaine les Roques de Cana, Château
Saint Sernin, SAS Vigouroux, and Vinovalie.
The wines were wonderfully paired with the buffet prepared by Chef Alexis Pelissou of the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Gindreau in Cahors who flew specifically to New York to prepare the lunch: charcuterie selection, salade de gesiers, Cahors winegrower’s Bread, Spiced Morello Cherry Compote, Foie Gras Creme Brulee, Truffled Capuccino Creme, Walnut Rillettes and Spiced Tuiles.The foie gras and the charcuterie were provided by Ariane Daguin while the Cahors winegrower’s bread was baked by Amy Scherber after Chef Pelissou brought her the wine she needed.
Videos and interviews were made in New York. They’ll be put on line on the cahorsmalbec.com site very soon.
Jay McInerney on the "Black Wine of Cahors"
In his delightful and witty book, A Hedonist in the Cellar, American writer and journalist Jay McInerney featured the famous Black Wine of Cahors. After a quick historical survey, he states : “In the last decade Cahors has made a comeback, as its winemakers groped to integrate their traditions with new technology and the international marketplace.” McInerney also remembers with longingly affection a meal with four-generation truffle negotiant Pierre-Jean Pebeyre: “dining with Pebeyre and his wife, Babette, in the town of Cahors I have experienced some stunning food-and-wine pairings involving black truffles and Cahors.”
McInerney then explores the quality of some Cahors wines, such as Château Lagrezette, Château Lamartine as well as Châteaux du Cèdre, Clos Triguedina, Croix de Mayne, Haute-Serre and Peche de Jammes. He recommends buying the 2000, 2003 and 2005 vintages. “Although those wines will be decidedly young and somewhat wild, they should behave well in the company of a cassoulet or a charred slab of prime beef.”
"An increasing number of quality-conscious estates in Cahors"
“An increasing number of quality-conscious estates in Cahors”, writes Roger Voss in the detailed article of the 2008 October issue of Wine Enthusiast. Historically speaking, Malbec is of French origin, including the famous Argentinian Malbec. “Stylistically, writes Michael Schachner, “Malbec reflects its terroir like a mirror. In Cahors, for example, it can result in taut-structured wines with biting tannins - a direct response to continental Europe’s more northerly locale. Conversely, in sunny Argentina and Chile the wines tend to be high in alcohol (14 to 15.5 percent), rich and jammy, and, if exposed to too much sun, stewy or mushy.”
Saying that Malbec is now well recognized as a rising varietal is no scoop. “Malbec is widely known today, says Schachner, “as a potentially rewarding wine with deep color, rich black-fruit flavors, medium-to-solid tannins and reasonable midterm ageability.” Because of the climatic differences, the two countries now produce very different wines but all of high quality. Malbec was known and cultivated in France for many centuries before it reached Argentina. It went trhough ups and downs and many hardships over the centuries. The rise of its “little brother” in Argentina created a strong and positive trend in Cahors, especially because “In today’s fruit-driven wine world, Cahors has had to reinvent itself”.
“Quality conscious estates” are now the leaders of the Cahors appellation: Clos Triguedina, Château du Cèdre, Château Lamartine or Château Lagrezette are among the best. They produce dark and tannin wines, with strong differences between vintages and many different styles.
French Malbec is now a leading and recognized wine in the new wine world. That is why Cahors wines are the guest of honor in Argentina for the Second International Malbec Days in November.
Château Lamartine: a little marvel!
Canadian journalist Bill ZACHARKIW, The Gazette Wine Critic, featured his summer wine selection and selected the Cuvée Particulière from Château Lamartine: a marvel!
$15-$25: MID-PRICED MARVEL
Meaty texture and so much elegance
Cahors 2005, Cuvée Particulière, Château Lamartine, France red, $22, SAQ # 862904.
Modern, and in a good way. While it shows typical notes of licorice, dark brooding fruits, leather and other animal notes, it does not stray into that rotting-carcass aroma has that turned me off of high-end Cahors. Here, the tannins are tight but yielding, the fruit is ripe, blue and black, and the texture is meaty. But there is so much elegance and length, depth and complexity. While I appreciate authenticity as much as great taste, in this case, I love what it takes from Cahors, and perhaps even more so what it doesn’t. Drink now-2012. Food pairing:
Duck.
