About this WINE
Malbec
Known as Auxerrois in Cahors, Cot in the Loire and Malbeck in Argentina, this grape has undergone a mini renaissance in the last decade, largely fuelled by its success in South America. It used to be a staple component of the Bordeaux Blend, but it never recovered fully from the 1956 frosts and its plantings there have fallen by 75% as growers have replaced it with more fashionable, and crucially, more durable grapes.
It is still grown successfully in South West France where its most famous wine is Cahors. This wine used to be black as coal and tough as leather but improvements in viticultural and vinification techniques have led to riper, softer, more approachable wines that are now amongst the best of the region.
In Argentina it is widely grown and produces deep coloured wines with generous black fruit characteristics, balanced acidity and smooth tannins. It is either bottled on its own or as part of a Bordeaux blend. In Chile it is the 3rd most widely planted grape after Pais and Cabernet Sauvignon and tends to produce firmer, more tannic wines than its Argentinian neighbours. In Chile it is often blended with Merlot and Petit Verdot.
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Description
Argentinian Malbec may be all the rage today, but this varietal enjoyed its first flush of popularity in the middle-ages. The Black Wine of Cahors was reportedly served at the marriage of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152. The robust tannins and inviting deep ruby colour of Clos la Coutale speak of its heritage, while the addition of Merlot (20% of the blend) delivers ample fruit to appeal to the twenty-first century drinker. A wine of real character and no little refinement.
Will Heslop - Buying Department
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