Clos La Coutale Cahors 2007
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Wine
Spectator
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Winemaker Notes
The domaine has been in the family for six generations and is planted to the traditional varietals of Cahors – Malbec (locally known as ‘Cot'), which provides deep color, structure and tannin and Merlot, which softens the young wine and improves the bouquet. The wine is aged in large oak foudres before being bottled unfiltered. Although it can be enjoyed young, it ages very well.
Incredibly bright color, like the skin of a ripe black cherry, the aroma captivates. There is a suspicion of new oak, a jumble of black fruits (cherry, cassis, blackberry), plus a little corner of blueberry, plus a subtle smoky nuance, and a fleeting suggestion of black truffle. And the perfume is only the opening salvo. The palate is rich, loaded with delicious fruit. It is round, and tannic with superb balance and structure.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Big, rich and darkly colored—these are the descriptors for the best red wines from the Cahors district of southwest France. The leading grape is Malbec (that’s right, there was Malbec before Argentina) and now a small group of quality-oriented producers is pursuing a higher profile for Malbec in its homeland. Tannat and Merlot can also used in these blends. Besides an array of dark fruit flavors, the following wines from Cahors offer plenty of muscle and dense structures. They beg to be drunk with a juicy rib-eye or a roasted leg of lamb. There’s a good sense of elegance to the well-defined, concentrated flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and plum, followed by notes of sage, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf on the long, powerful finish. Drink now.
Other Vintages
1998-
Wine
Spectator
Today, Cahors’ jack-of-all-trades and Renaissance man, Philippe Bernède, continues the family tradition with both heart and ingenuity. Philippe’s vines rest upon the gentle slopes that rise up from the Lot River. Over the years, Philippe has tinkered with the house blend to achieve a greater equilibrium. Today, the blend consists of 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot, creating an intense wine that juggles elegant rusticity with everyday drinkability. Coutale has quite a record of age-worthiness as well and Philippe is not afraid to pull out older vintages of his wines alongside much more expensive Bordeaux. They stand up pretty well! Nothing beats a bécasse or cassoulet with an old Coutale, but a simple steak fits the bill just fine.