16/07/2024
CAHORS MALBEC: Growth in both directions
The impression one gets from Cahors is wonderful.
If one starts with what the city is like, small, with few inhabitants, so old and with so much architectural wealth. Very peaceful, with its inhabitants willing to help and comfort asit happens in most cities in Europe. If we add to that the fact that it is the place where Malbec was born, a variety so dear to Argentina, we are in the right place.
On a new visit to Cahors, the third time since 2017, to evaluate their wines, at first glance and as a first impression I verified the sustained growth in quality. Appreciable in wines that come from grapes from all its terroirs, not only in those that deliver the most complex wines, which even have true mineral characteristics, in their maximum expressions.
To consider, the Appellation of Controlled Origin (AOC) Cahors created in 1971, allows the name of the strain to be placed on the labels since 2007 and not only the name of its origin (Cahors) as has been customary for centuries. in French wines
They have abandoned France's historic terroir strategy for its wines to focus on variety. Notable change.
To carry the AOC Cahors, the wines must have a 70% Malbec and the rest 30% may be Merlot or/and Tannat.
It only allows red wines to be made.
Out of a total of 21,700 hectares covering the 45 municipalities of the Lot, the vineyard area is 4,300 hectares but only 3,323 hectares are delimited by the Designation of Origin.
Its wines are predominantly marketed in France, but interesting commercial and marketing work has been done in exports which has opened marketsand today it does so, not only to the United Kingdom (since ancient times), but also to Belgium, the United States, Canada and China.
As an example, this year they were present at VinexpoParis at the South West stand with very good attendance.
Regarding the soils of Cahors, there are two clear regions:
Valley: it has three terraces, called first, second and third.
Causse: composed of two subregions, Causse and Plateau
In the blind tasting that took place on this visit, we had the chance to taste Malbecs from all regions, with some pearls to highlight.
There are a lot of very good Malbecs with a great quality-price ratio, the quality they have is striking and they could well have a higher price on shelves. No one would argue.
Great value for the price:
91.5 Cuveé Prestige Chateau Vicens Cahors Malbec-Merlot 2020 Euros 8
91 Mission de Cenac Malbec Cahors 2023 Euros 9
91 X2 Cahors Malbec 2020 Euros 8
91 Chateau Saint Sernin Malbec de la Calcaire 2018 Euros 10
90 Chateau Souleillou Cahors Malbec 2020 Euros 7
90 Bout du Lieu Cahors 2020 Euros 8
With prices between Euros 10 and Euros 20, a very competitive category, seven Malbecs appear to distinguish, with really very interesting ratings, including two: (X4 Cahors Malbec 2020 and Renaissance Cahors Malbec 2020) that appear among the 12 best in Cahors. Shocking.
Excellent Malbec for between Euros 10 and Euros 20
94 X4 Cahors Malbec 2020
93.5 Renaissance Cahors Malbec 2020
92.5 Domaine La Berangeraie Les Quatre Chambrees Cahors 2014
92 K’Or Cahors Malbec 2021
92 Le Vin des Noces Cahors Malbec 2020
91.5 La Nuit des Rossignols Cahors 2020
91.5 Domaine La Berangeraie Cuvee Maurin Cahors 2020
The most important Malbecs that I tasted had some characteristics of subtle mineral notes that appear gently in the mouth, almost intermingled with the tactile sensation of the tannins, great complexity and all in great harmony.
The quality, power and storage potential that they predict were impressive.
Here the best:
Best Malbec from Cahors 2024
95 Crocus La Roche Mére Malbec de Cahors 2020
94,5 Cuveé 6666 Malbec de Cahors 2020
94,5 Petites Cailles Moureau Cahors Floressas 2015
94 X4 Cahors Malbec 2020
93,5 Icone Cháteau de Mercués 2020
93,5 Renaissance Cahors Malbec 2020
93,5 Riss Terroir Cahors 2016
93 Prieuré de Cenac La Vierge Cahors 2022
93 Geron Dadine Cahors 2020.
93 Probus 2020
93 Crocus Le Calcifere Malbec de Cahors 2020
93 Les Galets Nozieres Cahors 2015
Crocus La Roche Mere is the first wine born from the union of Paul Hobbs and Bertrand Gabriel Vigouroux who chose the best plots of their vineyards to demonstrate the great quality that wines from the Cahors Designation of Origin can achieve.
Most of the best Malbecs this year were from the 2020 harvest, which was a very good vintage as it achieved balanced climatic conditions. Mild and humid winter with a hot and dry spring and above all without frosts that would cause significant damage. The summer was relatively dry, with rains that only began on August 15, which allowed the grapes to finish ripening in a very good state of health.
There are three wineries that I was able to visit after my tastings.
Cháteau de Haute-Serre, which, led by Bertrand Gabriel Vigouroux, presented two wines with excellent scores among which I tasted in addition to the wines in association with Paul Hobbs (Crocus) that I mention above
La Berangeraie, founded just over 50 years ago and currently with three generations in daily life, reveals its “extreme” youth where I found wines with the consistency of the Cahors Denomination.
Clos Triguedina, which has been making wines in the area since 1830, and is currently headed by the 7th generation, Juliette Baldes, a winemaker with experience in Argentina after running a winery in an area that currently is in the spot light, the Uco Valley in Mendoza.
Here I found wines not only to pay attention to but to continue with the new harvests, with the gaze of youth and experiences in the lands that have made the variety re-emerge.
They have a Malbec trilogy of plots meticulously chosen by Juliette's father, Jean Luc Baldes, which largely summarize the potential of each of them. Among the best 12 of Cahors, the Petites Cailles Moureau Cahors Floressas 2015
Consistency regarding my last visit
And finally, there is a series of wines that have been repeated among those with the highest scores regarding my tastings in 2021 that provide a trait of continuity in the search for quality, consistency as they say...
2021
96 PRIEURÉ de CENAC LA VIERGE 2018 Chateau Saint Didier de Parnac
94,5 CROCUS LA ROCHE MERE MALBEC de CAHORS 2018 Crocus Wines
93,5 CHATEAU de MERCUÉS CUVEE 6666 MALBEC de CAHORS 2018 Chateau de MERCUÉS
93 CHATEAU de MERCUÉS ICONE WOW CAHORS MALBEC 2018 Chateau de Mercués
Cahors is a city in the Lot department, in the Occitanie region (Midi Pyrennes), southwestern France. Wonderful to travel through it from the shores of the Lot River, meandering like few others, with soils that reach up to (650 meters above sea level) impregnated by the particularity of having iron stones in its soils in its highest area.
Knowing that it is the place where the Malbec variety was born is an incentive to see the continuous growth of the wines of the Cahors Appellation of Origin after the almost complete disappearance due to phylloxera and the World Wars.
The fact that great winemakers settled in the area, such as Paul Hobbs, who has great knowledge of Argentina and Malbec in particular, means that the wines of the AOC Cahors have a certain degree of “Argentineness” that could be the first step towards the “union” of both Malbecs.
For example, what I commented at the beginning of the note, that they have adopted putting the name Malbec on their labels, we should not take it as competition but as, perhaps, being able to walk together in the world after the success achieved by Argentina and the history of Cahors, which is today on the rise.
Note:
The photos that appear in the Wine Tastings and Scores Section, of each of the wines tasted, are just for the consumers to be able to differentiate andrecognize each one of them.
