“As I come inside from shoveling snow all day with my mustache frozen stuck to my face, I’m looking for a glass of wine that’s going to kick my ass a little bit as it warms me up. Enter the appellation “Cahors,” the spiritual birthplace of Malbec in Southwest France, approximately 100 miles east of Bordeaux. The appellation is known for dark, visceral blends of Malbec touched up with Tannat and Merlot, tannic and brooding in their youth. Where Argentinian Malbecs that have taken the U.S. by storm are juicier and fruitier on the palate, Cahors is more angular and lean. Think notes of cedar, Assam black tea, anise hyssop, hints of smoke and dark earth-dusted-berries.
Clos Siguier is run by winemaker Gilles Bley and it sits right smack dab in the middle of the appellation, made up of medieval brick buildings and winding hilly roads. The estate is his family home, built in 1779 and was once a sheep and truffle farm. His take on “Cahors” is is a lighter expression of the typical style sitting at only 13% alcohol and eschewing heavy extraction for freshness and razor-fine tannins. All the fruit is hand-harvested, fermentations start naturally, and the fruit is never sprayed in sulfur. All the practices in the vineyard are biodynamic/organic. The hot brown stones, the gnarled, old vines grow in; showing in the glass, adding great edgy minerality. Drinking this wine is like reading an old book. That’s the sign of true elegance and pedigree, and only at $19! May we suggest red meat, red meat, and more red meat…”
May We Suggest…
