A missive from Cahors (46 Lot, Occitanie) arrived this morning (in 2007), responding to Robert Parker’s assetion that “Malbec will make it big!”. Certainly Argentinian Malbecs are rising fast, especially in the US, where interestingly Argentina has overtaken Chile as the 4th biggest exporter (after France, Italy and Australia).
Argentina still has some ground to make up in the UK, but their signature grape is the Malbec – which they can make in a very upfront, fruity, smooth style. However, it is Cahors which claims to be the real home of the Malbec grape (known locally as Auxerrois or Cot) – and that is probably a surprise to many visitors to the region – again the French labelling does not help. The French Malbecs tend to be more complex, and less sweet, but to my mind ultimately more rewarding.
Georges Vigouroux, a major name in Cahors, has been successfully marketing a 100% Malbec “Pigmentum” so named for the great depth of inky colour which is a trademark of good Cahors
Of course, the cause of Cahors and other Southwest France wines has also been promoted by Roger Corder’s recent research and book The Wine Diet
Others factors may be the predominance of duck and goose fat in the diet – as these fats are the healthiest of animal fats because they have less saturated fat than say, butter or bacon fat and far more of the health-promoting mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
A selection of Cahors wines are available from Majestic Wines in the UK.
see our Top 30 vineyard B&Bs in France
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somewhere to stay, a ferry, a train or car hire?
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Although parts of the region are quite poor economically, the combination of great wines, rich food, a benign climate and a relaxed lifestyle all sound pretty healthy to me!
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