(Originally published 14 May 2018.)
Plenty of very good values to be had here.
Plenty of very good values to be had here.
Famille ILBERT/Château COMBEL-LA-SERRE
2016 Cahors Au Cerisier
Made from Auxerrois (the local name for Malbec), this wine is deep and intense with plenty of red and dark cherry fruit, a medium-full body, and good intensity. There’s also a ton of tannin here. If you drink the wine now, have an aggressive food pairing that can cut the tannin. Otherwise, be prepared to wait 8-10 years minimum, I should think (I have no experience with this producer) for the tannins to resolve. In short, impressive, but some chanciness. Certified organic. 12.5% stated alcohol. 87(+)/B
Fabien JOUVES
2015 Cahors Cochon de Dieu Malbec
Jouves is a dynamic natural wine producer. His estate is called Mas del Perié, but there is no mention of the estate on the label of this bottle except to give an internet URL, and its unclear to me if this is an estate or a négociant wine. In any case, the label indicates that the wine is certified organic. The wine is medium-weight and quite dense with intense dark plum fruit and overall balance. It can be drunk now but didn’t hold up well overnight, so I’d drink now. 13% stated alcohol. Lot LHCF. 90/A
Château LAUROU/Guy SALMONA
2015 Fronton cuvée Tradition
As with some other producers in the region, Guy Salmona is someone who made his fortune elsewhere and is now investing part of it in producing wine. So much the better if it improves and brings notice to the wines of this under-appreciated region. The wine is dense, broad, and fairly powerful with dark plum fruit, minerality, and still some tannin to support aging. If you want a wine of the region to serve with the ever-popular cassoulet, Fronton is less than 20 miles west of Toulouse, one of the centers of cassoulet culture. 55% Négrette, the grape unique to the region, 30% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Serve at 55-60ºF. Certified organic. 13% stated alcohol. 86/B
Château PEYROS/Vignobles LESGOURGUES
2012 Madiran vieilles vignes
This is a traditional-style Madiran, made 80% from Tannat and 20% Cabernet Franc. Tasted on its own, the wine is quite tannic and has some bitterness, although those familiar with Madiran will recognize good potential for the future. But serve it now with a blue cheese, and the wine has a creamy texture with no harshness, making for a beautiful combination. The wine features blue fruits with some violets. 14.5% stated alcohol, but high alcohol is not apparent. 89+/A-
Robert et Bernard PLAGEOLES
This estate with its excellent wines is the one primarily responsible for rescuing and resuscitating the indigenous grapes of the region.
Certified organic.
2014 Côtes du Tarn Prunelart
This is a pleasant little wine from the Prunelart grape. It features floral dark plum aromas and flavors. The medium-weight body is not overly-tannic, but bears a rustic feel to it. I suggest serving the wine cool, but not chilled, with simple, rustic dishes. 13% stated alcohol. Lot L:P14. 86/B
2015 Gaillac Braucol
Here the grape is Braucol. The wine is medium-light with dark plums that are very fruity, recalling an elegant Southern Rhône Grenache-based wine. I’d drink cool over the next 3-5 years. 13% stated alcohol. Lot L:B 16. 87/A-
2016 Gaillac Syrah
The wine his mineral blue fruits with an acidic backbone in a mid-weight body. It’s not bad as a wine, but somewhat anonymous. Drink over the next 4-5 years. 12.5% stated alcohol. Lot L: S 16. 86/B
Le ROC
2014 Fronton Le Classique
Here the native Negrette grape is combined with Syrah and Cabernet. The wine is medium-weight, spicy, and velvet in texture with blackberry fruit. The inexpensive price means that you can use plenty of it to wash down the cassoulet and other hearty dishes from the Toulouse region. The notable acidity will also help to cut the hearty fare. 13% stated alcohol. 87/A-
2015 Fronton La Folle Noire d’Ambat
The Negrette grape, formerly known as Folle Noire, is the main grape in Fronton and the only grape for this wine. Ambat is the location where this wine comes from with soils rich in clay and iron oxide. By chance or not, iron is a notable element of the nose along with iodide. The mouth is medium-weight, light on the palate, shows good firmness along with some creaminess, and has round tannins. The flavors agains show iodide and some dark plum. This is an excellent wine for drinking over the next few years and has the balance to suggest the possibility of aging longer. I’d pair it with charcuterie, cheeses, pastas (even with tomato sauces), and roast meats. 13% stated alcohol. 89/A
2016 Fronton La Folle Noire d’Ambat
Here is the 2016 version of the previous wine, again made all from the Negrette grape. This wine is quite reduced, so plan on decanting it a minimum of 15-30 minutes prior to serving. As in the 2015, there are iron elements in the nose. On the palate, the wine is dense and powerful with amole tannin and good acidity. You can drink this wine now, but I expect it will be even better in 5-10 years, and it may well last substantially longer. I’d suggest the same food combinations as for the 2015: charcuterie, chesse, pasta (even with tomato sauce), and roast and grilled meats. 13.0% stated alcohol. 90/A