The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 is selling for $8.99 at Costco, and it looks like it is available for around $15 elsewhere.
The Story
This Malbec is from the south of France, not Argentina.
In the 1800s, pests and diseases hit French vineyards and decimated entire vintages. The Malbec grapes from Bordeaux were hit particularly hard to the point that vineyards stopped growing Malbec grapes. To this day, Malbec is seldom used in Bordeaux Red wine.
At some point, somebody took Malbec vine cuttings to Argentina. The grape thrived in Argentina; most of the vines were planted at an altitude where the pests and diseases that plagued the vines could not exist.
The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 is not a part of that; Cahors has grown Malbec all along, but a separate strain of Malbec not related to the Bordeaux/Argentinean grape.
Cahors wineries tend not to be fancy estates owned by large wine groups; this is wine the way it has been grown for the last 75 years.
The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 is produced by Vignobles Saint-Didier Parnec. The vineyards are located on the side of a terraced hill (3rd terrace to be exact)l by a river.
The winery calls this a Grand Reserve wine, and it routinely garners 90+ points from wine reviewers.
I do not have current production notes, but in the past, this Malbec was aged in oak barrels for 10 months.
The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 Tasting Notes
The color is mostly black with some cherry red; these wines are known as the Black wines for a reason. The nose is a mix of dark and red berries, along with spice, herbs, a hint of smoke, and bitter chocolate. The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 is rich and smooth.
This Malbec tastes like extracted blackberry, licorice, spice, strawberry, and herbs. And then, some chewy tannins and oak spice.
The acidity is very well-balanced.
The Summary
- The Calos Cahors Malbec 2022 is a lot of wine for $8.99.
- A serious food wine, and a solid sipper.
