Weekend Wine: Clos La Coutale Cahors
Fancy a little Merlot with your Malbec?
By Wes Marshall, 7:00AM, Fri. Oct. 8, 2021
Many decades ago, the French wine area of Cahors was known for its ink-black wines and the fact that they were undrinkable until they were many years old.
Because of the hard work of Cahor winemakers like Philippe Bernède at Clos La Coutale, the world is starting to taste what the locals had always enjoyed, which is an affordable wine that is perfectly drinkable even when it is young.
If you have enjoyed Argentine Malbecs or U.S. Merlots, this wine should offer you a glimpse of why wine geeks go nuts for European wines. This wine is fruity enough to tame the dusty tannins. On the other hand, for any of you who like to age a bottle to see how it will taste in a few years or a few decades, Coutale has enough grip to give the wine what it takes to get old gracefully. Try it with any sort of grilled beef, from burgers to ribeyes, or for a glimpse of perfection in matching wine and food, try it with a homemade traditional cassoulet.
Clos La Coutale Cahors costs about $18-$21 and is generally available at the Austin Wine Merchant, Central Market, and Travis Heights Wine.
One last piece of trivia: If your corkscrew has a hinge on it (which it should because they are the best) then you should say a thank you to Philippe Bernède for inventing it!
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April 18, 2024
Cahors, Clos La Coutale, Malbec, Merlot, Philippe Bernède, homemade traditional cassoulet
