Malbec Wines from Cahors France Rise Again, the Black Wine

Black Wine: Malbec Wines from Cahors Region in France Rise Again

She says: What is “black wine” ? Black wine is a malbec wine from the region of Cahors, France which has such a deep purple color and is 99% opaque, so that you cannot see through it. Those of you fond of eyeing your wine tasting friends through the rosey lens of your filled glass will find that it is not possible to see them through the “black wine”.
Tell me more you say?  While on a recent trip to France, I learned that this Cahors region of southern France is also the original birth place of the malbec grape. I didn’t know that, did you?

He Says:  Actually, yes, I did know.  According to Jancis Robinson, malbec likely originated in Burgundy and was once widely grown in Bordeaux and all throughout France. But the grape is susceptible to frost, mildew, rot and other nasty things, so most malbec vines have been ripped up and replaced with other more reliable and productive vines. Today in France, malbec is most widely grown in the Cahors region.

She Says: The Cahors wine region, where our “black wine” comes from, is legendary with history going back to 50 BC (over two thousand years old, my friends). The Malbec vines have been wiped out a few times by frosts and/or that pesky phylloxera (as He refers to above)  but you can read a much more thorough history of the Cahors France wine region here.

Imagine my delight when we returned home and a few weeks later learned that a short film about the black truffles and the black wine of the Cahor’s region, “The Scent of Black”, was awarded The James Beard award.  The film comes from the incredibly talented team at Grape Radio. Watch the film when you can.  Just 12 minutes – we’ve posted it for you here. We trust you will enjoy the film.

He Says:  To be a Cahors malbec, the blend must be at least 70% malbec. It is often mixed with merlot, another soft and fruity grape. And yes, the color of the wine is as close to black as you will find.

Here are the two Cahors Malbecs we tasted:
Black Wine: Malbec Wine from Cahors, France: Pigmentum 2008 Malbec, Georges Vigouroux $8

Black Wine: Malbec Wine from Cahors, France: Chateau de Mercues, 2007 Malbec, Georges Vigouroux $19

He says: Try a cross cultural tasting of your own.  If you’re into malbecs, try the 2007 Chateau de Mercues from Cahors alongside one or two from Argentina. You’ll notice some pronounced differences in the wines. The Argentine malbecs are not as dark in color – more of a deep purple – and burst through with more fruit and richer, more approachable flavors.  Taste both and let us know, which region do you prefer?  Leave a comment in the comments section.

Chateau de Mercues, 2007 Malbec, Georges Vigouroux, Black Wine from Cahors, France:

Black Wine: Malbec Wine from Cahors, France: Chateau de Mercues, 2007 Malbec, Georges Vigouroux $19

He and She both say:  We had a unique opportunity to taste two “Black Wines” from the Cahors region of France.  Black Wine is the name given to the merlots from this ancient wine region. It’s fascinating and a little mysterious. There’s even a short film about the region at this link.  More information about the history of the Black Wine here.  http://wp.me/p9Qfi-mN

He says: This bottle came from the same winery, but was significantly better than the Pigmentum malbec.  It had an inky purple color and dusty, leathery nose. The flavors were dark fruits, prunes and leather. It had medium tannins but could be enjoyed now or sit a couple of years. (In general, malbecs don’t age very well). A very nice wine, worthy of a 15 score.

She says:  You, my friend, can stop by for a drink anytime.

Served with: Roasted chicken sausage and roasted summer vegetables.

Pigmentum 2008 Malbec, Georges Vigouroux, Black wine from Cahors, France:

Pigmentum label - not so easy to remove - but it's here!

Black Wine: Pigmentum 2008 Malbec, Georges Vigouroux $8

He and She both say:  We had a unique opportunity to learn about the “black wine” from Cahors. You can read more about our discovery here and watch a short film about “The Scent of Black” referring to truffles and wines from Cahors France.   http://wp.me/p9Qfi-mN 

He says: This Cahors malbec was very dark in color, indicative of the black wine of Cahors. It was easy to drink, but didn’t really display many of the characteristics I’ve come to associate with malbecs from Argentina. It was OK, but nothing special. Then again, it only cost $8.  I gave it a 13.

She says:  You’re hot. But that doesn’t give you permission to slap me.

Served with: Grilled spicy chicken sausage and grilled summer vegetables – corn, asparagus, green peppers. Perfect.  If you can find black truffles from the region  – do it!

Wine in Moderation ~ From Concept to Practice in the European Union

 He and She both say:  While traveling in Europe we came across something  interesting.  The European Union (EU) campaign for responsible drinking of wine  called Wine in Moderation.   http://wineinmoderation.eu/

Begun in 2008, in an effort to promote the “Art de Vivre” or lifestyle of moderation in drinking wine and to reduce harm that might be associated with over drinking, the European wine industry developed “Wine in Moderation” program.  The European wine industry is certainly doing its part to promote responsible drinking.   Wine in Moderation is the EU wine industry’s formal contribution to the European Commission on Alcohol and Health.

We saw the logo displayed on vineyard websites, in magazine wine ads, in the windows of bars and restaurants and WIM brochures in the lobby of some wineries we visited.  The logo is prominently displayed here on the National Wine Month “Make Time for Wine” website. Also, while on the Make Time for Wine site,  there’s a link to a website with a very simple app to help you stay “Drink Aware” which is especially helpful for people who are new to tasting and drinking wine and ares still learning how to pace themselves.  The Drink Aware site separates fact from the fiction regarding alcohol so you can enjoy yourself responsibly.  Go on… click on the link…  it’s really very educational, entertaining and helpful.  http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/

She adds:  Once I started dating “He”, I learned very quickly that I absolutely could not keep up with the Olympic wine tasters in his circle of friends.
He says:  I will refrain from publishing the photo from her first wine tasting.  Her cabernet did win first place that night, she however was not awake for the winning moment.
She says:  Thanks for that.  Anyway, they are very conditioned California wine tasters with years of experience from the days of Napa/Sonoma wine expansion, to the Santa Barbara area wine explosion –  and I will never catch up.  And I’m OK with that.   I’m a committed lightweight – one too many sips and my palate becomes numb, my stomach talks back to me and the relentless computer in my brain is counting the calories.  I taste, I spit and I enjoy wearing the designated driver crown, or being the one smart enough to call a cab.

If you’d like to read the full report on RESULTS from the Wine in Moderation Programme 2008 – 2009 to see how each EU country is participating, you can click here for full FREE REPORT.  Wine in Moderation Implementation Report 2008 – 2009

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