Cuvée des Vignes Centenaires Cahors Malbec

One of the great overlooked wines of the wine world. Nose is extraordinary. Dark berry fruit that is so fine and so clear. Tweed jacket. Licorice and minerals. Earthy. So complex and expansive. Just incredible. So defined. Some clay and graphite are coming through now. Palate is pure silken Malbec as if sent down by the Malbec Gods. Superb freshness and concentration with extremely intense minerality but not fierce. Soft but firm. Wonderful classical structure and top notch purity. There is awesome red berry fruit but needs air to come around and become fuller and more expressive. Gorgeously clear and ripe tannins. Teeming with energy. I’ll be back as it airs. Now with air the finesse kicks in and it’s just so fine. The nose gets super floral. 9.5 to 9.6.

Stunningly deep nose of cassis, tree bark, spice and wild mint. A scene in nature. Plum. Such pure fruit. Also violets. Super floral, but darker flowers. Crushed rocks and wet earth. As classic as it gets. The first growth of Cahors. Palate is silky and textured with amazing depth. Superb sap, power and concentration. Such class and finesse. So refined and elegant. Ripe and substantial tannins and but again so refined. Amazing length. Brilliant wine. Unreal freshness. Sappy and deep. Has the guts to go 35 more years. Profound.

As this opens it gets so velvety, so sappy, so elegant. Just a brilliant bottle.

Just an unreal showing. Nothing like it. 1885 vines. So complex. So deep. So long. So classic.

This is the 1885 vines.

Really came together on Day 2.

This is a sexy beast if I’ve ever had one. Nose is ill. Dank clay, moss, cigar, tobacco, berry liquer, flowers, feral. So so deep. Will take decades to fully express itself. Mineral. Clay. So much clay. Just so unique. Palate is so so creamy, concentrated and has beastly tannins that pump out unreal, thick berry and cherry fruit. So pure. So sweet. So thick. Painfully young. Super ripe tannins and loads of dry extract. Insanely ling finish. Like minutes. Sick wine. Way too young. But incredible. Better in 10-15 years.

Wow. Warm licorice, toasted grain and stewed Italian plum nose. Licorice and blackberry palate. Charming, with a quinine complexity on the finish. This is a fascinating expression of the grape. It shows warmth in a cool, traditionally structured frame.

Nose has crushed blackberries, wet-old leather, fermented plum, moist wood charcoal, over-ripe blackcurrant, wet-old clay pot, damp mason sand, dried blueberries, all this yet fresh & vibrant! (+9.6 on the nose alone)

Palate has blackberry jam, blueberry compote, dried cherry, wet-charred wood, dried blackcurrant, muddy garden soil, ripe plum, dried plum with fine tannins, likely drinking at perfection.

From vines which were 115 years old at the harvest of this vintage; tonight we're tasting fruit with 137 years of life experience.

Cork pulled for slow oxidation 28H, then double-decant for service. Perfect, Audouze Method is the best way to respect older bottles.

Paired to a long/slow braise of local lamb shanks (Pigasso Farm, Copake, NY), 7H, nestled over homemade mashed potatoes. We're so happy! 🤤😋

Thomas had this 9 years ago

Emm had this 10 years ago