… 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…

Ripe cherries, in colour and in the nose, but also red currant, elderberry and lemon peel. A pleasant mouth feel, almost comfortable, with aromas of stone fruit, black olives and fresh rosemary. Some smooth tannins escort its crispy acidity and give the wine a good balance.

I have met this wine first on its 1999 vintage. Made from the almost forbidden fruits of some very old vines of the Minervois (planted between 1910 and 1930), – Carignan, Alicante, Aramon and Picpoul noir – my palate, used and (de)formed by the taste and aromas of more international grape varieties, was quite confused after the first sip. 

“Was this the genuine taste of southern French wines ?”

I’ve never missed a vintage of the Mal Aimés, ever since. I love to taste it in summer or spring, slightly chilled. But I still remember a rainy November lunch, when I served this wine from a decanter on beef and fresh boletus. The food brought out aromas of white pepper, and gave fullness and generosity to the wine.

I really recommend this wine, as it stays a surprise for your taste buds, beyond well-known flavours of standardised wines. 

“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

Professor Peter M. Tessier and his team from the Rensslear Polytechnic Institut of Troy, New York, have discovered another property of the famous resveratrol molecule found in wine, which might be beneficial to our health. Resveratrol is found in many fruits, like for example cacao, peanuts or blackberries, and last but not least in skins of grapes. The quantity of resveratrol in the skins depends on many factors, like colour (red grape varieties contain more resveratrol than white ones), geographical origin, the winemaking procedure, or the occurrence of wine diseases in the vineyards. Indeed, resveratrol makes part of the sophisticated molecular defence mechanism of vines against fungal attack, like for example mildew.

Since Frankel et al. described in 1993 that resveratrol averts the oxidation of LDL in our blood (oxidation of LDL cholesterol enhances arteriosclerosis), resveratrol has been frequently been associated to the so called French Paradox, which describes the fact that regular wine consumption may lower the risk of heart attack. Ever since, the list of beneficial health effects found for resveratrol continually grows; the “magic” molecule seems to promote angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels), inhibit inflammation, maintain bone density, reduce body fat percentage, decelerate cell ageing, a.s.o.…

Professor Tessier and his team published the promising results of their research in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in May 2010. They demonstrated, that resveratrol found in wine could play an important role against degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer. Apparently the plant molecule identifies and inactivates certain toxic peptides (small proteins) that play a role in degenerative brain diseases, showing a remarkable capacity to distinguish between “good” and “bad” peptides.

Although further research may be necessary to determine if and how the consumption of wine really lowers the risk of Alzheimer disease, this might be another reason not to forget a good glass of wine to enrich your meals…

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!