TONIGHT'S WINE: 2006 CLOS LA COUTALE CAHORS
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K: On a completely unrelated note, I would just like to say congratulations to the Detroit Lions on their first victory since 2007.
J: I know! Every week you kind of root for them. They're like the kid that gets picked last for kickball, and you feel sorry for them.
K: So onto wine. How does this smell to you?
J: Tobacco?
K: Yeah, tobacco that's kind of sweet. I also get faint violet scents. My grandmother used to date a man who smoked cigars that came in these perfectly square paper boxes, and he would give the empty boxes to me to keep crayons in. I loved the way they smelled. This is damn close to that scent.
J: But i'm not getting anything other than the tobacco and violet.
K: It's pretty straightforward. That's it.
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FIRST SIP
J: It's very smooth--but I think a few more sips are going to build the flavors before I can really say what it tastes like.
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A FEW MORE SIPS LATER...
J: The tobacco comes through. I'll say it again--it's so smooth. But it's not as intense and spicy as 100% Malbec is, I think the 20% Merlot mellows it.
K: You know what? I think it tastes very fall-like. Leaves and earth and refreshing air. It doesn't leave that hotness in your mouth the way more tannic wines do, though there is some tannin to it.
J: This is a great wine to give to people who are Malbec fans, or a foot-in-the-door wine for those who are afraid to venture into French wines. It's not as intimidating.
K: As you metioned before, Cahors is mostly Malbec--it is a wine AND a small city in southwest France. Cahors wine by law must be made of at least 70% Malbec, the remainder being Merlot and Tannat. Malbec is primarily an Argentinian grape, but almost all of Cahor's vines were destroyed in 1956 due to an extreme frost. Malbec was more widely planted after this and became the dominant grape of the region.
J: They had double bad luck because they were hit pretty bad by the phylloxera epidemic too, right?
K: Yeah. There's all sorts of cool lore around this city and wine. The city is most notable for its Valentre bridge--considered a "Devil's Bridge"--which are bridges that are said to be built by the devil, built with the help of the devil, or built against the devil's wishes. Mostly, they are bridges over some insurmountable pass that took a feat of construction in order to build it.
J: This lovely bridge is on the label of our wine. The bridge even has a small statue of the devil on it. Such a great wine for Halloween. Cahors wine has also been nickamed "The Black Wine of Lot" (Cahors being a city belonging to the region of Lot), and also "The Liquor of Fire".
K: The city is also mentioned in Dante's Inferno as another cursed, evil city akin to Sodom. It was because the bankers charged interest on loans during the Middle Ages, and this was against the beliefs of the Catholic church. MORE HALLOWEEN REFRENCES: When the wine first came into the English court in the 1700's, it overtook the popularity of Bordeaux wines--much to the dismay of Bordeaux vintners. Because Cahors had to make a trip through Bordeaux to make it to the rest of the world, the jealous vintners of Bordeaux tried to stop the transport of the wines before All Saints Day. All Saints Day was a day of feasting and drink, and Cahors threatened to make Bordeaux a passing fad.
J: All Saints Day being November 1st, so this coup happened around Halloween (All Hallows Eve). Insert devil laughter here.
K: Nice.
J: I think this is getting a tad drier the longer it's open.
K: Not offensively dry. Still smooth and tasty. I'm picking up on some black licorice now. It actually goes really well with this bread and cheese.
J: It's a very European meal; bread and wine and cheese.
K: Or it would be good with roasted seasonal veggies. I love Massaman curry with beef and sweet potatoes--I think you could drink Cahors with that. Thumbs up on this one!
