Clos La Coutale

Cahors Malbec 2000

9.2

[80% Cot (Malbec), 20% Merlot] This KLWM import is still an inky dark purple at age 26, seems less structured/tannic than vintages I purchased back in the 1980s/1990s (the Merlot??), but even at 12.5% this shows intense black fruits, somewhat of a soft middle, lingering finish, really a lovely French rouge that suggests to me it’ll still be kicking in 15-20 more years. I honestly think if @Tom Casagrande was drinking this with me now, without seeing the label, he’d be asking me whether the vintage wasn’t really 1900? Maybe lacks the complexity of a great Bordeaux, but definitely a throwback wine!! — 4 days ago

with Dave and Jim

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Tom Casagrande

@Doug Powers - Your inability to consume at a rate that keeps pace with your purchases has led to some eye-opening notes about wines I would have written off decades ago!

Doug Powers

@Tom Casagrande, my predicament is a big in my system, I never intended it to end up like that — I will say that I don’t post the stuff that’s clearly past it and undrinkable, unless it’s one that shouldn’t have gone past it too early.

Doug Powers

@Tom Casagrande — “bug in my system”

Clos La Coutale

Cahors Merlot 2023

Dave

8.9

Simple and enjoyable. Very dark, spicy, tannic, and medium bodied. Good!
Listening to Waxahatchee — 5 days ago

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Dave

Right on! It's so cheap I'll get a few to tuck away @Doug Powers

Peter van den Besselaar

Before 2010 this wine needed 10 to 15 years to soften tannins, since then the producer focusses on ripe fruit and smoother tannins.

Doug Powers

@Peter van den Besselaar, I very much appreciate you posting these insights about the changes in the winery’s growing/ripening process. Those old ones, it was difficult to even guess when they’d be ready. At least the 2000 I posted on has great fruit currently, and not terribly drying tannins!!