Cahors Southwest France FRED MINNICK

Cahors Southwest France FRED MINNICK Malbec’s true home is in this ancient appellation. Fred Minnick is an inter- There it stands, its 125-year-old roots firmly, as their flagship grape, Malbec (known locally as national writer and pho- deeply planted in the earth of Cahors. A monu- Auxerrois or Cot), has become an international tographer who regularly ment to vintners of yore, this rare Malbec vine sensation for Argentina. covers the hospitality produced grapes even when its neighboring Some 80% of Cahors production is sold industry. View his work plants withered away during the devastating in France; in the past few years, vintners have at FredWrite.com. frost of 1956. Today, its thick and powerful trunk started selling boxed wine to locals, apparently stands out amid the rows of 40-to-60-year-old in acknowledgment of their reputation for sim- vines at Clos Triguedina. ple, value-priced potables. But like Clos Trigue- A beautiful vine, perhaps, but emblematic dina’s old vine—which grows only six to eight Valentré Bridge (top); of its appellation. Most people would walk right bunches of grapes a year—Cahors wines de- Clos Triguedina Malbec past it and never give serve closer scrutiny. Producers here are shed- vine (below). a thought to its his- ding their stereotypical shackles and overcom- tory or the battles it ing market challenges to create well-structured, has won over Mother Malbec-based wines ranging in style from fruity Nature and human to intense and complex. authority. Cahors is Few European cities can match Cahors’s indeed the forgot- medieval charm. Situated on a rocky peninsula ten terroir of France, surrounded by the Lot River, the region is filled even though it’s only with historical reminders of its former occu- 25 miles west of Bor- pants, the Visigoths and Romans. The Valentré deaux. Its winemakers Bridge, built in the 14th century, links modern- struggle to find Amer- day drivers to their ancestors who crossed the ican importers, even river on the same span. Photos by Patrick Boillaud Fred (top), Minnick (bottom) 56 January 31, 2011 Appellation But the most in- teresting aspect of this area’s wine history in- volves King Henry III of England. In 1225, he ordered Bordeaux authorities not to im- pose taxes on or hin- der the production of the “Black Wine of Ca- hors,” so named for its impenetrable color. Af- ter the Hundred Years’ War, the wines fell out of favor in Engand, but they remained popular in France and Russia. From 1866 to 1878, phylloxera wiped out Cahors’s 143,000 acres of vines. In 1947, how- ever, local winegrow- ers established the Parnac cooperative, Cahors vineyards (above); Jean-Luc Baldès, owner hoping to restore the prestige of Malbec. Then times the Atlantic dominates it,” says Baldès. and winemaker of Clos the 1956 frost destroyed 99% of their vines. “Sometimes it will be the hot, dry Mediterra- Triguedina (bottom). Producers continued to make the best wines nean climate. It changes from year to year, but they could with what little they had. And when that’s what makes us different than Bordeaux.” Clos Triguedina, the oldest continuously family- The region receives about 2.5 inches less rain- owned vineyard in France (founded in 1830), fall a year than Bordeaux, but the east-to-west won the 1971 gold medal at the Salon des Vign- Lot River moderates temperatures and delivers erons Indépendants in Paris, Cahors was back the water needed by the vines. A towering lime- on the map. “My father Jean showed people we stone plateau provides ample drainage for its could make good wine,” says Jean-Luc Baldès, upper vineyards. the current owner and winemaker. AOC regulations designated nine terraces, After the gold medal, Cahors was recog- with two-thirds of the Cahors vineyards located nized as an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. on ter races one, t wo, t hree, and four. The AOC now comprises 11,366 acres, includ- These so-called Lot River terraces ing the communes of Vire-sur-Lot, Soturac, and consist of alluvial deposits from Prayssac. AOC-labeled wines must contain at the Massif Central, with limestone least 70% Malbec, with Merlot and Tannat also subsoils, quartz stones, smooth allowed; this is the only southwestern French pebbles, and limestone gravel. They AOC that prohibits the use of Cabernet Franc are close enough to the river to re- and Cabernet Sauvignon. ceive ample water, but not so close In fact, Cahors winemakers do not want to that drainage is compromised. The be like either Bordeaux or Argentina. They be- region’s top wines tend to come lieve their own Malbec can make intense, com- from terraces three and four, where plex wines bursting with fruit and framed by vineyards are owned by Château dense tannins. “Cahors’s identity is its terroir,” de Chambert, Château de Gaudou, Baldès believes. “France tends to have two sea- Château du Cèdre, Château Lagré- sons—spring and fall do not exist. It’s a lot drier zette, and Clos Triguedina. and hotter here, which is great for the Malbec Most producers’ blocks are grape.” Equidistant from the Atlantic Ocean, scattered around the AOC. Baldès the Mediterranean Sea, and the Pyrenees, Ca- grows vines on all four Lot River ter- Photos by Patrick Boillaud Fred (top), Minnick (bottom) hors’s climate is influenced by all three. “Some- races, making Clos Triguedina one Sommelier Journal 57 outstanding recent releases The 2009 releases had not yet been bottled at the time of my visit, but I tasted many samples from barrel. While Bordeaux is trumpeting its great 2009 vintage, Cahors is receiving little attention for what could well be the appellation’s great- est vintage in history. Château de Chambert Grand Vin 2007 $40 100% Malbec. Produced from a certified Biodynamic vineyard at the highest part of the plateau, 1,000 feet in elevation, this fresh wine has a bright purple color. Elegant tannins round out a pleasant finish. Château de Gaudou Renaissance 2006 $26 100% Malbec. Mechanical harvesting and traditional vinifica- tion were used to create this deep-garnet-colored wine. An intense nose of black fruits and spices sets up a chewy, tannic Malbec that should age well for some time. Château du Cèdre Le Cèdre 2007 $19 100% Malbec. This expressive wine offers black fruits, profound spices, and velvety tannins. Château Haut-Monplaisir Pur Plaisir 2007 $17 100% Malbec. A dark-red color leads to aromas of blackcurrant and smoky minerals. The bold palate presents flavors of cherry, blackcurrant, and chocolate. Intriguingly earthy, with a crisp, dry finish. Château Vincens Prestige 2005 $12 80% Malbec, 20% Merlot. These Guyot-trained grapes were mechanically picked and hand-sorted. Deep red in color, the wine has a nose full of juicy berries with notes of vanilla and spice. The silky palate is set off by well-rounded tannins. Perhaps the best value in the region. Clos Triguedina Probus 2007 $30 100% Malbec. Grapes were hand-picked and -sorted. The color is violet, nearly black. A slightly oaky nose shows a touch of cranberry. The palate features concentrated blackcurrant with hints of plum, but the wine’s most impressive aspect is its smooth, long, complex finish. Clos Triguedina The New Black Wine 2007 $60 100% Malbec. After being hand-picked and -sorted, the grapes are heated to further concentrate the sugars. The color of this limited-production bottling is unmistakably black; the nose displays dried fruit and licorice. Possibly the most complex Château de Chambert estate and vineyard (top) and proprietor Philippe Lejeune (middle); Philippe and Michel Vincens of Château Vincens (above). wine made in Cahors, it’s not jammy, but jam-packed with intense dark fruit, well-structured tannins, and vibrant acidity. of the few wineries that can bottle Malbec, Merlot, Tannat, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc. He has planted the white grapes at higher altitudes, for Le Bout du Lieu Orbe Noir 2006 $12 the southern exposure and drainage, and his prized Malbec in plots where 100% Malbec. A profound garnet color is followed by expressive black fruit with notes of vanilla and woody tannins. it can receive the most sunlight. “Being so well located gives us an advan- tage because we can taste the various levels of the soil,” says Baldès. Mas del Périé Les Escures 2008 $16 The vineyards on the limestone plateau have an average elevation of 100% Malbec. The ’08, from an organically grown vineyard, 900 feet and are less fertile than those in the Lot River valley. Winemak- has a deep ruby color that could easily be taken for black. ers here have beautiful views of Cahors and the French countryside, but Intense black fruit on the nose transitions to a powerful, gritty mouthfeel with hints of blackberry, chocolate, and black need to be more careful with their viticulture. “We try to pick plateau pepper. grapes as late as possible to get as much maturity,” reports Philippe Vin- Prices are current estimated retail. cens, owner of Château Vincens. “In the plateau, with the clay soil, wind, Photos courtesy Château of de Chambert middle); (top, photo by Fred Minnick (bottom) 58 January 31, 2011 appellation cold nights, and warm days, the grapes don’t ventured off to other lands and in- mature as fast. This doesn’t mean the grapes dustries before returning to their are not good; they just require more attention, family estates. For example, Vin- and we have to wait two or three weeks later cens was a financial executive for Château Lagrézette (top center) and owner Alain Dominique Perrin (above); than we do in other terraces.” a French bank, but says, “I just Château du Cèdre vineyard (middle); Vincens, 29, is among a growing num- missed it and had to get back to the Clos Troteligotte proprietor Emmanuel ber of young Cahors winemakers—more than vineyard.” Rybinksi (bottom left) and vineyard (bottom right).

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