2020 Chateau du Cèdre Cahors Malbec
When you see Malbec, you probably think Argentina. However, the Malbec grape is actually native to Cahors and the French expression of this grape is deep, earthy and structured. It’s a total 180 from the common, fruit bomb Malbecs that line the shelves today. Next time you make a burger, pop this guy instead of your typical Cab.
Certified organic farming practices, hand-harvested, aged for 20-22 months in new oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
$35.00
Brothers Pascal and Jean-Marc Verhaeghe bring a welcome refinement to the wines of picturesque Cahors, located about an hour and a half east of Bordeaux. The Verhaeghe vineyards were founded in the 1950s by Léon Verhaeghe, who had moved to the Lot region from his native Belgium a few years previously. His son Charles began making wines at Château du Cèdre in the 1970s and was a pioneer in that he planted vines on the poor stony soils of the Cahors appellation, at a time when most wines were mass produced. Since 1988, third generation Pascal and Jean-Marc have continued in the same vein, perfecting the approach with their meticulous work in the vineyard and the cellar.
In 2000, the use of herbicides and chemicals were banned, and the estate was certified organic in 2012. Cahors wines are made predominantly from Malbec and known for being powerful, rich and dark. Pascal and Jean-Marc build on these terroir-driven qualities to produce wines that are very polished and remarkably balanced, utilizing long aging periods in oak barrels and 57HL casks.
Today, Pascal’s sons Jules and Robin (4th generation), have joined the family estate, bringing a new momentum for the future.
MALBEC
Traditionally from France, Malbec (AKA Côt or Auxerrois) travelled a long way from its origin to Argentina, ultimately finding a home where it could establish itself. Although it is still grown nobly in specifically, Cahors, France. Malbec is loved for its full body, beautiful purple or magenta colors, bold red and black fruit flavors, and smooth chocolatey notes. Cahors Malbec tends to have hefty tannins and can be quite rustic compared to those from Argentina, which are typically more lush and soft. Other notable regions are Chile, the United States and Australia.
CAHORS, SOUTHWEST FRANCE
Deep in the southwest of France, amidst dramatic rock formations and cliffs, the Lot River slowly snakes its way along the valley floor, coiling covetously around the charming town of Cahors. Once a former Roman town, Cahors was also a center of commerce during the Middle Ages and served as an important crossroads for pilgrims on the trail to Santiago de Compostela. Cahors is known as the “black wine” of the Southwest — deeply inky, earthy wines that seem to complement the regional fare of duck (and duck fat!) so wonderfully. Cahors is also the birthplace of Cot, the grape more commonly known as Malbec.
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