2021 Château Haut-Monplaisir Cahors 'Tradition'

100% certified organic Malbec from 30 year old vineyards on the prestigious third terrace, or bench, of the Lot Valley, the oldest and highest of the valley’s three terraces. The soils are layers of iron-rich alluvial soils, chock full of gravel, deposited by glaciers on the Lot Valley’s limestone bedrock. Native yeast fermentations, mostly in concrete but with 30% in neutral barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur. About 6,600 cases made. 

This is a lighter, brighter style of Cahors Malbec than Monplaisir’s other bottlings- it mixes fresh, mineral-accented red fruit with Cahors’ trademark dark, brooding blackberry, plum, leather and earth notes. Medium to medium-full bodied and dry, with medium acidity and tannins. 

Daniel and Cathy Fournié and their daughter Mathilde farm 74 acres in Cahors. They went from conventional viticulture in the last century to passionately organic in this century and have become renowned for wines of notable refinement and depth–entirely from Malbec, the historic grape of Cahors’ Lot Valley that first came to prominence under the Romans. Cathy took over the vineyards in 1998 from her father, who had sold the crop to négociants. She and Daniel had a keen interest in making their own wine but realized they needed help. They reached out to Pascal Verhaeghe, the dynamic proprietor of Château du Cèdre whose vineyards also grow on the third terrace. It came about that Pascal offered Daniel advice in the cellar while his brother Jean-Marc did the same in the vines, beginning a relationship between Haut-Monplaisir and Château le Cèdre that continues to this day, with these two producers exemplifying the best this region has to offer. 

90 points, James Suckling. "This has a bright and fruity nose of red plums, raspberries and orange slices. It’s juicy and fresh with a medium body and crunchy acidity. From organically grown grapes."