“I lined up 19 malbec wines and started to think of a dish that would bring out their best and opted for that North African favourite: tagine.”

“[...]But then came the Château du Cèdre 2008, Cahors, France ($22.35, SAQ #972463), my old favourite that just made everything taste so sophisticated. As much as I enjoyed the others, this wine brought the tagine to another level. With each sip, I remembered what I loved about it so much: its inky colour, its aromas of blackberries, spices and smoke. I relished its velvetiness as it raced down my throat, followed by lingering flavours of vanilla and cinnamon. It’s as though the Cèdre was destined for the dish.”

… thus the Gault & Millau on our great Malbec cuvee from 2008. After a good year in the vineyards, two years of ageing in barrels and several months of ripening in bottles, we present the result of our efforts: A seducing “black” wine, synthesizing power and elegance, structure and subtility with fruit and spices.

The Sommelier International described the wine as very promising, with an ageing potential of 10 to 20 years.

Although the Malbec wines from Cahors are well known for their longevity, we are striving for the wines of the Chateau du Cedre to be ready for drinking on shorter terms.

And the 2008 as a good example: Presently fruity, rich and mineral, it will surprise by its complexity and finesse within few years; If you are able to wait that long…

Three stars and the sixth “Coup de Cœur” (translate like “favourite”) for the grande cuvée of the estate (100% Syrah), that should nevertheless not outshine the red Pierre-Henry 2009 (100% Grenache), a wink to the owner’s son.

Unanimous decision: This wine has a powerful bouquet in which garrigue, pepper, sour cherry, cacao and liquorish collude. Smooth and sensuous, generous flavours with a sublime finish. A true celebration of taste!

“Amongst the great winegrowers of this region (Cahors), Pascal Verhaeghe from the Château du Cèdre might be considered as one of the most talented”, writes Marc Vanhellemont when he visits the region and tasting the wines of Château du Cèdre. The 2008 wines have been bottled some months ago...

Dark in the glass, serious but delicate in the nose. A bouquet that gets more and more complex – raspberry and eucalyptus, smoky blackberry-marmalade, sweet, exotic spices from subtle oak, as well as hints of the stony earth in which the vines have grown their roots.

Generous, almost voluptuous on the palate, this wine shows a crystal clear acidity with solid, elegant tannins. To savour best with closes eyes…

Tasted on January 31^st by S. Nickel

Five stars and the best ranking for our Cabernet 2008 at the international wine competition “Europa Klassiek” in the Netherlands.

Perswijn is one of the most prestigious, independent wine journals of the Netherlands, presenting articles written by well know journalists on wines and wine regions from all over the world,. The magazine is dedicated to the wine lover, who appreciates “a glass of good wine”. For every issue, a jury of wine professionals tastes some 100 wines, and the comments and recommendations are published.

Perswijn also organises a wine competition for varietal wines from European regions in the context of the annual wine event “Classic Europe”, a public fair, where some 300 wines are presented.

This year, the competition focused on white wines made from Chardonnay and red wines made from Cabernet sauvignon with a retail price up to 12,50 Euros.

Selected by our Dutch importer, our Cabernet 2008 was presented to the jury. A first tasting was organised, including all the wines submitted to the competition (mainly coming from France, Italy and Spain), and the five best-graded wines were compared to each other.

You may imagine, how proud we are to announce that our Cabernet was ranked as the best wine of the competition, with a maximum score of five stars. The jury described the wine as follows: Aromas of blackcurrant, cherry and vanilla. Full bodied and elegant, smooth and delicate. A savoury wine with comfortable acidity!