| For those of you who still thrill at discovery, we have a red wine far from the safe, marked path. |
| Today's fresh offering should perk up your ears. Are you ready for this? It's a Malbec. |
| Malbec, you say?!? |
| Most of you will be surprised to hear us endorsing a Malbec, for it's not a grape variety we ever drink. Honestly, it never appears on our table, even when we barbeque or have beefy steaks. Or when it's free. It just isn't close to being on our radar. |
So why are we now taking a stand in support of this rather hurly burly grape? |
| A little background should shed some light on this unusual endorsement of ours. |
| Malbec is a black grape variety which was once popular in Bordeaux blends, but now plays a nominal role in this famous region. While it's still allowed in every appellation in Bordeaux, the total plantings have continued to plummet. |
| Elsewhere in France, Malbec has been the backbone of a little known appellation in South West France called Cahors where (for obscure reasons) it boasts the stylish name Auxerrois. It's here where Malbec gained its reputation with the English as “black wine.” |
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| Elsewhere in France, Malbec is simply called Cot. We like the name Cot better. It's direct and to the point, exactly like the wine. |
| If it were up to France, Malbec would be a very minor league grape. |
| Only it's not. |
| Malbec has exploded onto the wine scene in the last few years, and it has been heralded as one of the fastest growth wines in the world. All thanks to our friends in Argentina who have the tendency to produce big monster wines with lush, ripe, and bold flavors, often with the influence of new oak. |
| This is precisely why Malbec never graces our table, in part due to the fact that pairing it with food is challenging due to its high alcohol content. |
| Purely as an experiment, we went searching for an Old World version of Malbec which we might actually enjoy. |
Malbec Grapes on the Vine
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Congratulations are in order. Today we present to you an exciting Malbec from the largely undiscovered region of Cahors. |
| The Cahors appellation nearly faced an ignominious death back in the early 1960s. Trembling on the edge of extinction, it's rather remarkable the region is now capable of producing impressive reds. |
| We requested a sample of Château du Cedré Cahors last week. In the days it took for the bottle to arrive on our desk we were reading the current issue of Decanter magazine (our favorite wine journal from the UK) and we spotted an article by Andrew Jeffords on his top value wines. |
| You can guess the rest. |
“Prominent among the reference bottles, I suspect, are those of Pascal and Jean-Marc Verhaeghe at Château du Cedré, and those other properties for whom Pascal consults.
Best value is probably Le Château du Cedré. It's the appellation's gold standard, year after year.” (Decanter Magazine, February, 2012) |
Pascal et Jean-Marc Verhaeghe, Winemakers
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| Yet another favorable coincidence! Grin. |
| Château du Cedré Héritage Cahors (South West France) |
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| This is a crackling, modern style Cahors from the leading estate of the region. |
| The wine displays the typical black color of Cahors, along with aromatics of black plum, bay leaf and licorice. Simply stated, it's deep, spicy and accessible. While it still has the great depth and power of a Malbec, it's balanced with enchanting zest and minerality. |
Château du Cedré Héritage Cahors is positively rippling with terroir. |
| Mind you, we still recommend pairing this wine with red meat (such as steak, hamburger, chili, ribs, or lamb) or strong cheese. It's a big boy, but far less so than it's Argentine counterparts, and it's well balanced. |
| Character and quality. And a great price too. A nice package all around for every day drinking. |
| $13.99/bottle or $134.30/12 pack case ($11.19/bottle) or just $11.19/bottle in a mixed case of wine. |
| P.S. |
| In order to support this tiny appellation, we have a special "January only" offer for you. |
| Purchase a solid baker's dozen of this wine (13 bottles) for only $134.30 before February 1. That's like getting an extra bottle of wine for free on top of the great discount. Talk about serious value!!! |
| P.P.S. |
This special offer will last through the month of January only. You can reply to this email to reserve your baker's dozen, or just stop by the store. Please note: this offer expires at 9 pm on January 31.
Happy Year of the Dragon! |
