Clos la Coutale
Clos la Coutale
Vintage: 2006
Region: Cahors, France
Varietal:80% Malbec , 20% Merlot
Alcohol: 13.1%
Price: $19.89
Back to France this week, where I selected a wine from Cahors, France. Cahors is known for the production of malbec based wines and is considered by some as the birthplace of the varietal. Since new world malbec are all the rage for their ripe, bold fruit forwardness, I thought it would be interesting to observe the differences between style and presentation from old world to new world. Before the cork was popped, the labeling on this wine is decidedly old world with a yellow label and ancient looking brown and red font colors. This wine wants to appear old, which is typically different than a new world malbec labels from for example Argentina.
In the glass, the wine presents in a light ruby form trailing pink to its edges. The wine is see through which would never be seen in a new world example where the wines are so dark and thick that light barely gets through. On the nose, this wine has some great nuttiness and spice that took me back to youth, when my mom would make butterscotch Jello pudding. This wine smells a lot like that did, with caramel and oak being central with the fruit being less obvious and apparent. Most new world examples are drenched with dark, juicy fruit and rich new oak. In the mouth, this wine is medium bodied with a great freshness and soft feel in the mouth with light fruit upfront trailing to a light finish. That spice and nuttiness that was noted on the nose presents again on the palate and that Jello pudding memory is re triggered. As far as faults go, this wine is a little green and would certainly do well by a few more years aged in the bottle. If you are keen to serve it, I would also recommend decanting with service temperature around 19 degrees Celsius.
The verdict: If you are looking to understand something, you have to know where it came from. The Clos la Coutale gives wine drinkers a chance to glimpse into the past with their presentation of traditionally styled malbec blend. It’s worth seeking out and giving a try for yourself if you have the patience and means to hold onto it for a while.
83 Points
- Clos la Coutale
- by Adrian Bryksa
- Published on May 6th, 2009
- Photos:
- Cahors, France
- Rating:
- 83 Points
More from Adrian Bryksa:
-
Vinya l’Hereu Petit Grealo
Every time I think that I have seen all this wonderful city of Calgary has to offer in terms of wines and spirits, I encounter something more amazing and more jaw dropping than I could possibly imagine.
-
Wyndham Estates Show Reserve Cabernet Merlot
Do rewards come to those that wait? I have had this wine in my cellar for a few years and Sunday was going to be its day of reckoning.
-
Huber Grüner Veltliner Obere Steigen D.A.C.
This is an almost exclusive Austrian varietal that seems to fit in between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc stylistically and sometimes exhibits some characteristics commonly found in Riesling. It sound like my kind of white.
-
Travaglini Gattinara Riserva
Typically, this is a 90 + point rated wine from Wine Spectator. It is an excellent example of an outstanding medium bodied Nebbiolo from Northern Piedmont in Italy, delivering a slightly hard candy, floral bouquet with a orangish hue.
-
Clos de Los Siete
This wine is exciting with dark, inky deep purple tones to it. With the first sniffy sniff, there is a nice blackberry component poking through with some white pepper and a nice hint of toasted oak. To stand up to this wine, match it up with some hard, old Cheddar and biscuits.
-
The Little Penguin Merlot
I find myself picking up bottles, reading the labels and examining the packaging and wondering what makes the average consumer choose it over the countless others in the sea of similarly priced products.
Other recent features:
-
Sónar 2010 – Barcelona, Spain
The festival attracts a lot of outsiders, but the Mediterranean, Spanish and more specifically Catalan nature of the people makes the festival what it is. Catalan people are passionate and this passion is infectious. The atmosphere is electric in Barcelona as a city and heightened by music and intoxicants at Sónar.
-
Summer Party Naval Styles at Seven RestoLounge
Oysters, like wine are affected by terroir and these Miyagi’s flavor profiles ranged with one showing a cleaner, almost tropical profile and the other being more salty, marine driven. As I was devouring the seemingly endless plates put in front of us, I sipped on a glass of fine sauvignon blanc.
-
R4NT Radio March 2010
R4NT Radio March 2010 um wow it’s been far too long since the last edition edition, featuring: Hector Hernandez, The Infesticons, Blockhead, Gramatik, Emika, Thunderheist, Parov Stelar, Eddy Meets Yannah, Anti-Pop Consortium, The Slew, Lighterthief, Andreya Triana, Parasyte Woman, Mathon, Venetian Snares, and Funki Porcini.
-
O Restaurant & Lounge revisited
Calgary has a diverse set of urban communities, most of which have the ubiquitous strip mall watering hole. In the South West community of Marda Loop, a reinvention of this paradigm has been established.
-
Predictions 2010.. and beyond!
So 2010 eh? Almost but not quite (no year zero they say) another decade? It seems like just yesterday that the world was waiting for Y2K. R4NT started publishing in March 2001, so we’re not quite 10 years old yet, but in internet years we are already a senior citizen.
-
Invictus
No matter what, the reality of Nelson Mandela is something that deserves screen time. Should this film even remotely intrigue the masses to take interest in this figure, the world would likely benefit greatly from it.
