Cahors - So Much Promise!

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
Andrew Jefford opines...

the style of Cahors is intrinsically different to that of Mendoza: tougher, tighter and more ferrous, with a more austere fruit spectrum. Perfect for seasoned mealtime drinkers, but without the easy-access ideals of varietal wine. Cahors’ most promising path is to try to re-establish its reputation as one of France’s great terroir wines.
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A Lot of Promise

. . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman: Jancis Robinson is away
We can tell.
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Jeff, I take it you would have expected a substantially different slant on the article had it been written by Jancis Robinson. I haven't seen her take a stand against Cahors.

. . . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Actually, my point is that I find the article to be a bit of a yawn.
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The article struck me as an introduction in search of a thesis. Maybe I've just been reading too much Gilman recently, but I finished the article waiting for an exposition on producers, vineyards or some such.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by MLipton: I finished the article waiting for an exposition on producers, vineyards or some such.
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Mark, I guess the article caught my fancy because I have long enjoyed Cahors wines. I appreciate the genuineness of the typical Cahors finished product...very true to its terroir. And, oh yeah, also Cahors tend to be very food friendly.

. . . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
originally posted by MLipton: I finished the article waiting for an exposition on producers, vineyards or some such.
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Mark, I guess the article caught my fancy because I have long enjoyed Cahors wines. I appreciate the genuineness of the typical Cahors finished product...very true to its terroir. And, oh yeah, also Cahors tend to be very food friendly.
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No argument, Pete. As long as you steer clear of that "upper tier" referred to in the article, you can get some very honest wine in Cahors. What I found missing was a discussion of who still makes "traditional" Cahors and who is making the spoofy stuff. Often, a single producer will do both, but all the more reason for a detailed discussion.

Mark Lipton
 
I have an opportunity to pick up some '94s from Chateau de Haute-Serre, deeply discounted. I'm wondering what the reason for the discount might be. Does anyone know where I might find a Cahors vintage chart? Or is Bordeaux enough of a proxy?
 
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Actually, my point is that I find the article to be a bit of a yawn.
Click to expand...

The article struck me as an introduction in search of a thesis. Maybe I've just been reading too much Gilman recently, but I finished the article waiting for an exposition on producers, vineyards or some such.

Mark Lipton
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I thought he did suggest a thesis (Cahors should position itself based on terroir, not variety), which is an interesting question for us market research geeks. But then he meandered into older vintages, a sprinkling of producers and a few other memes, without really following up.

But hey, it's a quick expose of a lesser known region in a small space by a writer filling in, so allowances can be made. I read Jefford on Monday in Decanter regularly, and find him one of the more interesting thinkers and posers of questions among our current wine writers.
 
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