ABOUT: The most well known AC in southwestern France is Cahors and Chateau du Cayrou is one of the standout producers. The PowerPoint slide in wine class would say that Malbec and Tannat, two of the main grape varieties of southwest France, were used to bulk up wines in Bordeaux prior to the onslaught of phylloxera. Both clawed there way back and Bordeaux has exploded with success while southwest France has remained quiet, making few great wines. Over the decades Chateau du Cayrou has passed through a few hands and since 2009 has been operated by Julien Goursaud, son-in- law of the owner. His first order of business was to fine tune the vineyard by reducing the number of usable vines to 15 hectares rather than the 30 originally planted. Some of the slopes just didn’t produce the quality he’s looking for. Bold move to cut half of your output. Organic certification was also an achieved goal and all wines are certified organic from 2012 on. The Chateau du Cayrou Cahors is the flagship wine of the estates and we were very lucky to get our hands on some of the stellar 2015. We opened a bottle for dinner in early 2023, minds blown! TASTE: The Malbec grapes that go into this beauty of 2015 are grown on deep gravel soils on the right bank of the Lot river. Aromas and flavors of campfire, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, black pepper, soy sauce, thyme and a citric tang. Medium bodied with high acidity and light, dusty tannins that melt into the scenery. There’s a nice bit of salinity in this wine as well, adding to the complexity. The finish is long and another 10-20 years of positive development is guaranteed. PAIR: Cacio e Pepe, Spicy Halloumi Stew With Sultana Couscous, pizza piled high with mushrooms, Chickpea Curry, Sopes con Frijoles, grilled vegetable fajitas, and roasted eggplant with balsamic vinegar.
