Wine & Spirits - October 2021 - 97

Year's Best Southwest France
91 | Château de Rhodes $21
2019 Gaillac Chevalier de Rhodes ^ Eric
Lépine intends Chevalier de Rhodes to be the
lighter of his two Gaillac reds, and he nailed
it. A blend of duras, syrah, merlot and cabernet
franc, it's super-fresh and juicy, with
some floral and brambly notes coming up
from behind. Bright and powerful, this is set
for a picnic of cured meats and mild young
cheeses. § Paris Wine Co., Benicia, CA
91 | Domaine Rotier
$24
2016 Gaillac Les Gravels Rouge ^ Alain Rotier's
parents began restoring these vineyards
in 1975, ten years before Alain convinced
them to bottle their own juice rather than
selling to the co-op. The 86-acre estate has
been farmed organically since 2005 (and certified
since 2012), and sulfur additions are
below the allowable biodynamic levels. Generally
made with 40 percent duras, 40 percent
syrah and the remainder braucol, some
years (as was the case in 2016) Rotier introduces
a small proportion of prunelart, an
ancestor to malbec. The wine is aged mainly
in concrete vats; its leanness and wild aromas
reminded one taster of a carbonic Beaujolais.
It's definitely energetic in that same way,
with electric violet fruit transitioning into a
smoky, floral finish. (W&S 06/21) § Vintage '59
Imports, Washington, DC
bRAUcOL/FER
92 | Domaine Laurens
$55
2016 Marcillac Claus d'lfer ^ From a single
parcel of the Laurens's 50-acre property, this
wine needs a few hours and a vigorous decant
to reveal the depths of its savory flavors.
Chocolatey oak tannins step back to reveal
dark plum fruit, foresty aromas and charcoal
smoke. Deeply flavorful, it finishes rich, soft
and creamy, like a savory espresso ice cream. §
Potomac Selections, Landover, MD
91 | Famille Arbeau
$14
2020 Comté Tolosan On l'Appelle Braucol
(BEST BUY) ^ Anne Arbeau and her brother,
Gérard, manage this family estate based in
Labastide-St-Pierre, and produce a range of
wines including this braucol-replete with
bright plum-skin flavors and ripe tannins.
Initially powered by its acidity, a dextrous
transfer to the tannins manages the weight
of the fruit. § Offredo Selections, Columbus, OH
90 | Domaine du Moulin $30
2016 Gaillac Florentin Braucol ^ This
brawny red blends fruit from vines in the
gravelly soils close to the Tarn River, the
other half of it from vines on limestone soils
up the hill. The wine's brown-sugar richness
fills its spicy alcohol and firm, purple tannins.
There's a bit of pleasant bonfire smokiness
that would go well with grilled kabobs. (W&S
06/21) § Regal Wine Imports, Moorestown, NJ
89 | Domaine Laurens
$16
2019 Marcillac Pierres Rouges (BEST BUY) ^
This is hugely tannic wine, still showing some
aromatic flair. It takes a day before smashed
ripe-raspberry flavors start to emerge from
behind the phalanx of tannin, and another
day reveals more savory notes: meaty
paprika and blueberry skin. § Potomac Selections,
Landover, MD
87 | Domaine Laurens
$8
2020 Aveyron Comme Un Dimanche Sous
Un Cerisier (BEST BUY) ^ As earthy and funky
as curing meats, this wine has potent alcohol
and bright acidity to take on summer sausage.
§ Potomac Selections, Landover, MD
cAHORS
94 | Domaine de Cause $25
2015 Cahors Notre Dame des Champs ^
Martine and Serge Costes farm 23 plots of
iron-rich soils, planning to complete their
transition to organic farming in 2022. This
is a small production from an old-vine plot
on a hill in Cavagnac. The wine is laden with
spices-the standard baking set of cinnamon
and cardamom, as well as greener shades,
including olives, basil, thyme and rosemary.
Simultaneously savory and brown-sugar rich,
this has a silky texture and scents of violets in
the finish. " It's damn cool, " said NYC sommelier
LJ Hollins. § Tri-Vin, New Rochelle, NY
93 | Clos Troteligotte
$40
2020 Cahors K-Pot' Malbec ^ Emmanuel
Rybinski tends 49 acres of vines planted on
an iron-rich limestone plateau. Since 2004,
Rybinski has been vinifying some plots separately,
exploring the micro-terroirs of his
walled vineyard. This wine ferments with
ambient yeasts and spends six months in
cement vat before bottling with no added sulfur.
Imagine most any red fruit and you can
pick it out here-strawberry, cherry, raspberry,
currant. Malbec's coffee and chocolate
notes play underneath them, brash
but friendly. Glou-glou from malbec-fun! §
Authentique Vin, Carrboro, NC
92 | Château la Caminade $23
2016 Cahors Commandery CY Malbec ^
Brothers Dominique and Richard Ressès
run this 67-acre estate, where they grew this
sunny 2016. Reticent at first, shut off by its
potent alcohol, it feels honest, with a coolness
to its very ripe fruit, like the end of a
summer day when the heat finally breaks.
Though it's rich, it has some refinement. §
Wine Traditions, Falls Church, VA
92 | Château Ponzac
$31
2018 Cahors Malbec ^ Matthieu Molinié's
family has roots in the village of CarnacRouffiac
that stretch back to the 14th century.
In the present day, he farms 69 acres of
vines in Cahors, selecting this malbec from
parcels grown in clay and limestone soils.
The wine fills out its massive tannic frame
with dark-purple fruit flavors, girded by a
mineral twang and some herbal notes. Open
it when you put the pork belly in the oven
and pour it once the pork comes out for a
luxurious Sunday roast. (W&S 06/21) § Kysela
Père et Fils, Winchester, VA
92 | Clos Troteligotte
$17
2020 Cahors K-Nom Malbec (BEST BUY) ^
A single-parcel selection of malbec with 15
percent merlot, this shows some subtle herb
scents. The wine comes strongly out of the
gate, vibrant and floral, with a classic balance
of richness and acidity that could pair with
duck breast served with a plum reduction. §
Authentique Vin, Carrboro, NC
91 | Ch.du Caillau Malbec $35
2018 Cahors Malbec ^ Grown at a 25-acre
vineyard planted in gravel, clay and limestone,
this wine is silky, clean and fruitdriven.
Its alcohol gives it some lift, and
the huckleberry finish (wild and untamed)
would make it a match for birria tacos. (W&S
06/21) § Aquitaine Wine Co., NY
91 | Château de Cayx
$19
2016 Cahors Malbec ^ The Vinovalie co-op
manages this property, owned by the Danish
royal family. The wine is firmly structured, its
base of juicy black currant and turned earth
enriched by the oak. Five years of age has
softened this malbec, in a good spot right
now. § DM Vineyards & Partners, Compton, CA
91 | Ch. Haut-Monplaisir $20
2019 Cahors Tradition Malbec ^ Cathy and
Daniel Fournié tend 64 acres of vines, certified
organic since 2012. This is their entrylevel
wine, raised mostly in concrete vats.
Plush, bouncy tannins frame its black-fruit
core, and some peppery flavors and a pleasant
cedary aroma pull the wine back from
over-richness. § Vintage '59, Washington, DC
91 | Didier Pelvillain
Oc TO b ER 2021
WINE & SPIR IT S
$19
2017 Cahors Château du Port Cuvée Prestige
Malbec ^ This wine grows on a south-facing
terrace overlooking the village of Albans
97
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