Hi again Emery (and Mark)

On Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:50:16 +0100, Emery Davis
> wrote:

>> 2004 Clos la Coutale Cahors

>Thanks for the reminder, I need to contact les Ifs and buy some
>Cahors. Only a few old Prince Probus in the cellar right now.

I have tried to like Prince Probus and remain somewhat unconvinced by
it.

On a recent (last spring) trip to Cahors, we went to about a dozen
producers and found it a fascinating experience. A BIG difference in
the quality of the welcome from one place to another, despite having
approached them all in the same way (email explaining who I was,
followed up with a phone call making a date). In some places the owner
was there, waiting for us and we had a famous visit with - in general
- interesting wines. In others, a very polished performance, with
plenty of wines to taste, and occasionally some excellent wines -
usually at the lower price point. At yet others, no one was expecting
us, and we wondered why we'd bothered to make a date.

As for "Black wine". Originally this was a wine made from a must that
was concentrated by cooking down. Remember that at the time this wine
was developed, Bordeaux merchants had the right to block all the
"upcountry" wines from passing through on export until their own
production had been sold. Remember also the British name for red
Bordeaux ("claret") comes from the french name for a type of very
pale, almost rosé wine - Clairet, which some producers are making
again, by the way. So the black wine was blending wine, used to give
body and colour to "clairet". Cahors is desperately trying to
capitalise on the fame of this wine, which was largely unjustified,
IMO. So nowadays a few of the large, more commercially minded
producers are trying to make a drinkable "Black Wine". The few I
tasted failed to convince me.

The wine I liked best in the visit, and which I thought had about the
most promising future, was Clos la Commanderie from Ch. la Caminade.
However, there is another grower that I recommend you should look out
for. Johan Vidal at Ch La Reyne. He's struggling hard against all
sorts of disadvantages to pull himself up by his bootstraps, but hs
better wines were gorgeous and his basic one, excellent vfm.

>These traditional village Cahors have a lovely velvety quality,
>medium ripe fruit, good depth and decent concentration, no wood.
>They are very enjoyable quaffers that benefit from a few (5-ish)
>years in the cellar, at an extremely attractive price point.
>(Pricing in Cahors is really all over the map.)

I can't say I'm 100% in agreement with you on this. I think - as a
fully paid up oenogerontophile - that a good Cahors only become
drinkable when it's at least 10 years old.

Even these high class wines are very well priced, though.
--
All the best
Fatty from Forges