Cahors celebrates Malbec

"Terroir Malbec, Malbecs terroir" is the theme of the 3rd Malbec days which will take place in Cahors May 21st to 23th. One hundred producers of Malbec wines, 150 journalists, 400 professional buyers and 3,500 lovers of great wines from all around the world, will participate this year in the event.

General program :

A "Conference - International tasting" of the Cahors Malbecs from France and from Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina
Two "Tasting Seminars" directed by experts on Malbec's specificities compared to other grape varieties
Three "Tasting lounge" at the Valentré bridge transformed for the evening in the world's biggest Winebar
Four "Gastronomic tasting" pairing the best malbecs with different specialties from around the world

Enjoy this opportunity to come in Caors and taste the wines of Chateau Paillas. Either at "Espace Valentré" or on the Valentré bridge. You can contact us for further information : info@paillas.com.

Download complete printable program

"Cahors: My first love"

Elizabeth DeHoff, network member of "Palate Press - the online wine magazine", is as she describes herself : "A professional journalist, but in the wine world, I’m strictly an (admittedly enthusiastic) amateur". Anyway, she's trying to develop her senses and take a more thoughtful approach to wine tasting. She blogs on Crushworthy Wines and came to taste Cahors wines during the Cahors malbec Tour in Washington D.C. in march. Let's see her feelings...

"Way back in 2004 or so, when I was first getting into wine, I fell in love with Cahors. I wish I could remember which wine did it, but I wasn’t taking notes at that point — all I remember is that it was earthy and rustic and utterly enchanting. Ever since that moment, I’ve snapped up every Cahors I can afford — and they’re not easy to find. So I was particularly excited to hear about a Cahors tasting in D.C. last week.
Cahors seems annoyed that Argentina has managed to position itself as the king of Malbec, if its current marketing push (“Cahors Is Malbec!”) is any indication. It’s intriguing to me that a French AOC is emphasizing a varietal, but that seems to be what the U.S. market (at least) wants right now — Lord knows it’s worked for Argentina. That said, here are a few of my favorites.

Chateau Paillas 2007 Cahors: Plum and blackberry on the nose with metallic/mineral notes. Very tannic and mouth-filling; acidic, herbal, vegetal. I don’t even really know how to describe this one besides “I love it.” It stuck with me.

In short: If you like Malbec and are not yet acquainted with Cahors, you need to fix that. It’s hard to go wrong with these wines, and they’re great values — most of the wines I tasted at this event were under $40 or even under $20. Here’s hoping it catches on!".

See more on crushworthywines.com

Terroirs d'images : Water in the vineyard

Terroirs d'Images 2010, 5th Photo Exhibit on Grape and Wine will be held on May 13-16, 2010 in the city of Aigues-Mortes (Camargue, France).

This competition brings together the best work from professional and amateur photographers around a different theme each year. In 2009, 1 500 works of art from 140 photographers were entered in competition. 130 exceptional photographs were selected. This year, the theme will be "Water in the Vineyard".

"Water and the grapevine are two elements, intricately linked in the struggle for perpetual balance. For the wine grower, Water is synonymous with confrontation; against the erosion of the soil and the accumulation of rainfall, or conversely, against drought from too much evaporation or from not enough irrigation.

The Intimacy and the Force of Nature

The relationship between water and vineyard is in a state of constant flux, and is intimately intertwined at all moments, during the course of a day or a year: dew drops, morning mist, fog, rain showers, dark skies and electrical storms, snow flurries, icicles, and hail… each of these elements divulging hints of intricate detail or exploding in spectacular landscapes, wherein all the forces of nature abound.

Water invites subtle and delicate poetic imagery with its splendent sketches of vineyards dappled with puddles and iridescent reflections, sheltered by a rainbow… where snails trail and frogs slosh about, and a pruned vine weeps a tear of sap marking the early arrival of spring or the scent of the earth, exhaling after a thunderstorm.

The Flow of Water

Water cradles and borders vineyards of the world with brooks, streams, rivers, canals, lakes, seas and oceans, or suddenly, spurts and gushes in the middle of a vineyard, a spring cascading in rivulets. Water shapes the landscape of vineyards. Numerous are examples of vineyards that run alongside mythical rivers, such as the Loire, the Rhône, the Gironde, the Charente, as well as the Douro, the Danube and the Rhine, or the St-Lawrence River in Québec; of well-known vineyards found on the coast of the Meditteranean sea or the Swiss lakes; and, of islands sheltering vineyards, such as the Açores and Canary islands, Margaux Island on the Gironde, the islands of Hvar in Croatia, or the Iles of Rhé…

These streams, lakes and seas create a spectacular phenomenon: Thriving thermal conditions promising favorable micro-climates and environments for vineyards and its surrounding culture, from the transportation of grapes and wine to the unequivocal happiness of wine growers throughout the world.

There are also surprising illustrations of the meeting between water and grapevine, such as the floating vineyards in Thailand, the South Pacific where waves come crashing within feet of the Polynesian vineyards, the edge of the South African desert where the Orange River gives life to its vineyards, or the vineyards of the Camargue, voluntarily flooded each year in its battle to regulate the natural salinity found in its earth.

"Water in the Vineyard" is essential, and a natural theme. Favorable or otherwise, wine growers of the world either benefit from or curse this gift from the skies. To the amateur and professional photographers of the world, these magnificent landscapes, where the forces of nature collide, await your arrival to capture the delicate balance these two elements and the intimacy of their alliance."

more informations on the website : www.oenovideo.oeno.tm.fr

By the beginning of the festival, we will post regularly on our Facebook page a selection of our best photos about "Water in the Vineyard" taken at Château Paillas estate.

Drink Chateau Paillas in London

If you are living in London and you want to have a good dinner enjoying a good Cahors Malbec wine, here is a selection of restaurants where you will find Château Paillas wines on the wine list.


The Palm is a classic American steakhouse legendary for prime aged steaks, jumbo Novia Scotia lobsters, premium fish and heritage Italian entrees, prepared to perfection, using only the highest quality ingredients and served in generous portions. What makes us truly unique is our genuine old world hospitality and unique atmosphere. At The Palm, the dining rooms are a panorama of the classic cartoons and caricatures of local regulars, businessmen, politicians, and celebrities which make up our impressive customer base. Each room is filled with the hearty handshakes and warms smiles from our gregarious staff and familiar guests, and always abuzz with a sea of conversation and laughter celebrating the best of everything.

www.thepalm.com



The aim was to create a smaller and more intimate dining space where the owner's passion for food and wine could be further explored and the emphasis put firmly back on providing quality and hospitality for guests rather than size and media hype.

www.ledeuxieme.com



Meaning treasure in Arabic, Kenza is an ode to refinement and luxury. Be charmed by Middle Eastern hospitality as you relax into a crush of satin cushions. Let perfumed incense and fountains brimming with roses charm your senses. Relish the richness of homestyle Moroccan dishes and be enchanted by the shadow play of light through beaded lamps. Share stories over mouthfuls of spiced mezza. And, when you can’t eat another bite, relinquish yourself to the intensity of the night as belly dancers entice you to revel until dawn.

www.kenza-restaurant.com



Inside restaurant has become the place to eat in Greenwich. Chef Guy Awford offers imaginative and expertly cooked modern European food in an elegant but relaxed environment. Ingredients are sourced from local suppliers who share Guy's passion for freshness & quality. A range of regularly changing menus and a carefully selected wine list, consisting of over 50 wines from Europe and the New World, make inside the perfect neighbourhood restaurant.

www.insiderestaurant.co.uk

Enjoy your meal !!

Cahors Malbec wines : let's quiz !

New on the Blog : An "entertainment" category to learn or test your knowledge about Cahors wines (and especially Chateau Paillas wines), grape varieties, history, terroir and many other things while having fun...

First quiz with main questions about the vineyard and the wine of Cahors, followed next times by other quizzes on topics we talk about on our blog ...
If you can't go through some questions, you can of course find some answers here on the blog or on our website.

Good Luck !

Cahors Malbec wines : the quiz ! » Quiz Maker

Malbec days back to Cahors in 2010

After 2nd Malbec days in Argentina at Lujan de Cuyo, the Malbec days are coming back to Cahors on May 2010, 21st to 23th.

Three days of tastings, events and meetings devoted to Malbec and particularly to the various terroirs where it finds its best expressions all around the world.

Several countries will present their wines, a great opportunity to discover or rediscover different Malbec wines, whether you are amateur or professional.

More news in the next few months on our Blog.

The Terroir of Chateau Paillas : The soil #1

The soil is often mistaken with terroir. It is its most important component because of chemical and physical properties that will determine minerals and water feed of the vine.

The soil is the result of the transformation of its parent material by erosion (rain, wind, frost, ..), micro-organisms and organic input of the plants it supports.

There are two different types of soil at Chateau Paillas, the first comes from a marine limestone dating from the Jurassic era and specifically the Kimmeridgian time (e.g. found in France in the vineyards of Chablis). It was formed there over 150 million ago (when a wide open sea was covering the current area of Quercy) by deposition and sedimentation of carbonates, mixed with shells of marine organisms.
When the sea receded, 140 million years ago, only covering the north part of the Lot valley, it reveals a large beach as shown by the footprints of dinosaurs discovered in Crayssac, a small village near Cahors.

Then begun natural erode of the rock that goes on nowadays. Because limestone is very hard, its deterioration was done only on a few tens of centimeters as you can see on the picture taken on the road going to Chateau Paillas :
- Below, a layer of cracked limestone (underground thickness reaches several tens of meters).
- On the top, a layer of limestone stones melted with clay where the vine grows (whose thickness is less than one meter).

Clay play an major role as regulator, swelled by water during the rains it returns it to the vines during drought.