The wines of cahors

I would like to try some wines from this area but I am not familiar with it. Any tips on good producers and what age do you like to drink them at.

Toby,

I believe that Cahors is much of an up-and-coming region.

My favorite is Château de Cèdre, but there are plenty more.

I hope others respond to your thread.

Best regards,
Alex R.

Alex, you’re a neighbor!

I’ve enjoyed de Cedre (only one in my cellar at the moment) and examples from Clos la Coutale and Lagrezette (with some age). I don’t typically gravitate towards these darker more brooding wines but it’s nice when the earth, secondary elements and food friendliness come together.

RT

While Malbec is not at the top of my list of favorites, I have a friend who loves this region. He brought back a case from Château la Caminade Cahors, and they were all quite nice.

Clos Triguedina is also one of the best houses in Cahors. Their Prince Probus wine is delicious and you can find it for around $30. They also have a couple of cuvées under $20 which are really good also.

I also enjoy the wines from Les Hauts d’Aglan. Their Cuvée A is a beast of rich punch you in the mouth fruit & tannins, but with freshness and nuances.

I’ve enjoyed the Clos La Coutale. It’s definitely not an Argentinian Malbec. Loaded with acidity and minerality. Not the big rich fruit. This is a Kermit Lynch imported wine, so adjust your sensibilities accordingly. Also, goes for around $15, which is a bonus.

Cahors is a wonderful wine AOC and there are many enjoyable wines to be had. That said, most of the “top” cuvees from the various well-known domaines are made in the international style of very ripe, very oaked, very extracted wines. These wines – especially those from Lagrezette, Cedre, Lamartine, Triguedina, etc. – really don’t say much about Cahors terroir. In general, go with the “lesser” cuvees if you seek authentic wines.

The most traditional (and best, in my opinion) Cahors domaine is Clos de Gamot, run by the Jouffreau family. Their other domaine, Chateau Cayrou, is also excellent, just not quite as great as Gamot.

There was a thread on a very nicely done video of the wines of Cahors here:

Thanks for all the heads up!!

I just had a 2001 Lagrezette this evening. Certainly was not modern.
Fine grained tannins, and notable acidity. This is still a youngster.

Just the right amount of fruit underneath. Oak not noticeable.
Maybe they have changed, I don’t know.

P Hickner

Cahors used to have a reputation as a brutally tannic wine that took years and years to mature. Is that still the case?

Disclaimer- I represent Chateau de Gaudou, a Cahors producer, so take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt.

Yes, most Cahors still has that reputation of a “black wine”, however I’ve noticed that this particular aspect is seen more now in the higher-end cuvees (Gaudou’s Renaissance and Reserve Caillau come to mind). These wines take years to come around, or at least many, many hours in the decanter. Many domaines are making lighter-styled Malbecs or Malbec/Merlot/Tannat blends that are easier to drink early on. To me, it’s a nice balance between Old World elegance and New World fruit-forward wine. That said, there’s a lot of oaky, riper Cahors out there, so be sure you know what style you like. Just remember, however, that heavy use of oak is the traditional style, just not with the super-ripe fruit.

On a side note, my favorite comment when pouring Gaudou’s 100% Malbec 1733 Cahors was from a consumer: “Oh, wow, they’re making Malbec in France now!”

Which cuvee was it? I was referring to the higher-end cuvees from producers like Lagrezette - their “Le Pigeonnier” is an oak abomination. (The version I had was the 2000.)

Gaudou is an excellent producer. I love the 1733 and the Tradition. They are precisely what Cahors is all about.

But really, heavily oaked is traditional? Gamot is perhaps the most traditional of all and they have never used new oak.

That’s awesome.


Good tips in this thread. I’ve recently taken up some interest in the wines of SW France so I will use this for exploration.

Have a bottle of 01 Gaudou Caillau cellaring for at least another 8 years as an anniversary wine. Great house.

I think in years back many Cahors were unapologetic about the intensity and tannins in their wine, and for the better reserve wines they still adhere to that. But to make themselves more palatable in todays market they needed to start making at least a few wines that didn’t strip your tastebuds or need a decade to soften. I actually like some of the better value ones that have just enough Merlot to ease things down a bit, actually prefering them to most BDX at the same price when looking for something of value that still has some guts.

Les Comtes de Cahors brought in by Return to Terrior is a nice entry level wine.

Here’s a list of good Cahors worth seeking out, IMO:

Clos de Gamot
Chateau Cayrou
Clos St. Jean (the ne plus ultra, also made by the Jouffreaus)
Chateau de Gaudou (1733, Tradition, and Renaissance are all great)
Chateau Les Hauts d’Aglan (the upper cuvee here, “Cuvee A,” is superb)
Cedre Heritage (or “Le Cedre” from older vintages)
Clos Triguedina (basic cuvee, or MUCH older vintages of Prince Probus)
Cosse-Maisonneuve (very good)
Château de Haute-Serre
Chateau Lamartine (lesser cuvees)
Clos la Coutale

The Lagrezette I had was the Cru d’Exception.
A cellartracker note says it “didn’t taste like a Malbec”.
The boysenberry taste I associate with Argentine and Washington Malbecs usually keeps me away from the grape.

Matthew, Zach, thanks for the kind comments, I’ll relay them to Fabrice, the winemaker. If anyone’s interested, I am pouring them tonight on NY’s Upper East Side so you can get a taste of Gaudou’s style. PM for info. (sorry for the shameless plug)

Would that some of use were in NYC to benefit from shameless plugs!!