TN: 2012 Mas del Périé Cahors Les Acacias

[wspohn]

2012 Mas del Périé Cahors Les Acacias - I have always been interested in the 'Black wine of Cahors, made from Malbec, often with an addition of up to 30% merlot and/or tannat. We travelled there some years ago to investigate the wines as few were making it into our local Canadian marketplace.

While many of the wines were on the rustic side, some were excellent. If you are a talented young winemaker in France and can’t afford to buy or lease land in Bordeaux or any other notable area, you go to places like Bergerac and Cahors and make good wine that sell for a fraction of what the same quality would sell for in a major wine area. It is a mix of these talented winemakers and the traditional properties where wine has been made for generations by winemakers of varying skill.
This one was made by Fabien Jouves, a 6th generation winemaker in Cahors, who follows biodynamic winemaking. If you are interested see https://www.creamwine.com/brand.php?id=1137

This top cuvee is made from 100% malbec, hand picked, fermented using natural yeasts. Unlike quite a few Cahors wines, it does not carry an undue load of tannin, but is still a huge dark wine with concentrated fruit aromas – black fruit, plums with black pepper hints and some cocoa, yet light on its ‘feet’ with no hint of heaviness nor over ripeness. A long smooth finish. Tasted blind you might start out with “Ah – Australia or California (or Argentina, if you identified the varietal) – but wait – where is the sweetness and vanilla?”
This seems to be made for the long haul and comes across as both concentrated and elegant, without being ripe and sweet. Very good.