Château du Cedre Cahors / 2022 / 375mL

Description:

The Château du Cèdre Cahors 2022 is a dark, firmly built Malbec from Cahors in France's South-West, more savoury and earthen than the plush style the variety takes on elsewhere. This 375mL half bottle gives you a serious Cahors red in a format you can finish over one dinner without opening a full bottle.

Aromatically it leans black: blackberry, damson skin, crushed violet and a graphite edge, with dried thyme and a touch of black olive underneath. The palate follows through with dark plum and bitter cherry, tightly wound rather than sweet, carrying a dusty, iron-like undertone through the middle.

Tannins are the defining feature here, fine-grained but plentiful, drawing in across the back palate and holding the fruit in place. Acidity keeps the whole thing upright, and the finish is long, dry and faintly savoury, closing on stone and dark spice rather than fruit.

Pair it with slow-cooked lamb shoulder, duck confit, cassoulet, a rare steak with pepper sauce, or a wedge of hard sheep's milk cheese. The half bottle suits a table of two, a solo midweek roast, or anyone wanting to try Cahors Malbec before committing to a case.

Drinking well from 2025 through to about 2030. Bear in mind a 375mL bottle ages faster than a 750mL, so this will soften and open earlier than the full-size version of the same wine — decant it for half an hour if you're drinking it young.