Chateau Paillas's Blog

Happy new year !

2014-01-06T10:35:00.000+01:00

Château Paillas - Photo Credits Agnès Lescombes Photographe

Best wishes and may your days be filled with joy !

Hachette wine guide : 5th star in a row for Chateau Paillas's wine

2013-09-23T14:55:00.001+02:00

September is the month of harvest but also publications of wine guides. In the Hachette wine guide, Château Paillas's wine is rated with a star for our 2010 vintage.

Still fruity and without oak, let's discover the comment :

"A trio of varieties of the Southwest - Malbec (77%), Merlot (20%) and a hint of Tannat - gave birth to this 2010 with flattering aromas of ripe and jammy fruits and spice. We found the same characteristics in a greedy mouth, perfectly balanced between sweet roundness and freshness. An easy access wine, waiting to be discovered."

"La bd prend l'air" comics exhibitions in Cajarc

2013-09-16T11:22:00.000+02:00

"La bd prend l'air", in partnership with Château Paillas, is back for its 16th edition on September 21st and 22nd 2013.

Honored this year : Patrice Pellerin, author of the official poster, inspired by the hero of his comic "L'Épervier".
To discover about the wine universe : "Châteaux Bordeaux" by Eric CORBEYRAN and ESPE, but also "Le bel âge" by Amélie MARCHANDOT, BLAKE ET MORTIMER's "Fantastic Vehicles" by Bernard BONNEL and many other exhibitions throughout the city ...

More information about exhibitions on: http://www.labdprendlair.net/ and the facebook page of the festival https://www.facebook.com/LaBdPrendLAirACajarc.

Cahors celebrates Malbec

2010-05-09T23:13:00.003+02:00

"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"

2010-04-29T16:56:00.006+02:00

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

2010-03-18T16:04:00.004+01:00

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

2009-12-02T10:54:00.001+01:00

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 !

2009-11-17T23:32:00.003+01:00

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

2009-11-13T15:06:00.002+01:00

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

2009-11-05T22:00:00.001+01:00

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.

Our Cahors Malbec wines in Japan

2009-11-02T22:35:00.001+01:00

Living in Japan you will now find Chateau Paillas wines available at Belluna's Gourmet !
Try our powerful spicy vintage 2005 or complex and aniseed vintage 2002 with Sushi or Sashimi, you will sure enjoy them !

The taste of Cahors wine : Flavors

2009-10-14T09:25:00.002+02:00

To celebrate the week of flavor in France, we begin a new series of topics about the taste of Cahors wine by introducing basic flavors.

Taste is very cultural, it is highly dependent on dietary habits and tends more and more towards uniformity. For this reason, the week of savor, which is celebrating its 20th year, has among its aims to educate the taste, its diversity, its fun and above all to encourage behavior balanced and sustainable food consumption.

Strictly speaking, taste is the result of stimulation of receptors in the mouth, by molecules brought into contact with them.

On the palate, the Cahors wine taster perceives three basic flavors that are "acidity", "sweetness" and "bitterness".
Each flavor is brought by different components of the wine :
The acid taste comes from tartaric acid (found in green grapes), malic acid (found in such as green apples), citric acid (found in lemon), lactic (in milk) and sometimes acetic acid (in vinegar) but in this case, in large quantity, it is a flaw.
The sweet flavor comes from the many alcohols whose primary is ethanol, or from unfermented residual sugars such as fructose (fruit sugar) or glucose (found in most plants)
Finally, the bitter taste comes from the polyphenols and tannins.

These tastes are superimposed without vanishing: sweetness diminishes bitterness (sugar in coffee or tea ,...) and acidity (sugar into lemon juice ,...) . These reactions are the basis of the concept of balance, and for Cahors wines or red wines in general, it can be defined simply by:

Sweetness = acidity + bitterness

An interesting experiment to illustrate the balance between these opposed flavors is to separate a balanced red wine by distillation into alcohol and volatile flavors on one side and concentrated wine containing acid and tannin on the other. Then fill these solutions to the original volume with pure water and taste. The alcohol solution will taste hot and sweet while the other one will have such acidity and bitterness that will make it almost undrinkable.
That's why non-alcoholic wines are so difficult to achieve without adding sweet substances.

An argentinean vintage ?

2009-10-13T10:49:00.004+02:00

While harvest is completed and fermentations end slowly, we can already say that 2009 has been an exceptional year on a climatic point of view.

At a time that we hear more and more about tasting differences between Malbec from Argentina and Malbec from Cahors (see on Dr vino), climate of last months at Chateau Paillas reminds climate of Mendoza, very warm, dry and sunny. The maturity of tannins was obtained (see the picture of a bunch of Merlot which skin is so thin that it peels easily), but rather late, while concentration and maturation was still going on. The result : a "hot" wine, rich in alcohol.

2009 will be an exceptional vintage ? it is still too early to tell.

Harvest 2009 have begun at chateau Paillas

2009-09-29T23:43:00.003+02:00

With a beautiful weather and warm temperatures, harvest have begun at chateau Paillas.

It's naturally by Merlot yesterday and earliest plots of Malbec today that we will fill our first vats.
First feelings after two days: vintage 2009 will be a vintage of concentration and with an exceptional color...

Harvest 2009 in Cahors will be a compromise

2009-09-27T17:41:00.002+02:00

The choice of harvest time is probably the most important decision for the winegrower. A year of work depends on it, and vintage 2009 will be a compromise. Explanations ...

With a technological maturity achieved since mid September, a vine out of breath because of the drought on one side and perfect health, perfect weather for at least another week, but still thick skins on another side, it's hard to make a choice concerning the beginning of harvest!

Indeed, in a red wine such as Cahors wine, mellow taste of alcohol must balance both acid taste and bitterness of tannins. The climate of the year promises a high alcohol level and low acidity, to guaranty a good balance, the wine must be rich in ripe tannins !

Malbec and Merlot berry tasting allow us to see the positive trend of skin and seed but rain forecasting or changes in sugar and acidity can cause early harvest and so winemaking will get harder.

Nuptial flight in the vineyard

2009-09-23T23:53:00.003+02:00

While harvest approaching soon at Chateau Paillas, we saw this afternoon the nuptial flight of thousands of ants.

As every year at the same time, often after a rainy day, swarms of queens and males leave their nests to breed and build up new colonies.
Ants, such as earthworms, play an important role mixing and aerating the soil. Additionally, by burying organic matter in depth, they help the microorganisms to perform carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Tasting Malbec berries

2009-09-21T21:00:00.002+02:00

Complement to sugar, acidity and pH analysis made in the laboratory (see our post last year about monitoring of maturation), tasting berries allows to determine the advancement of maturity by estimating aromatic and polyphenolic potential.

There are several types of maturity for the grapes including such as physiological maturity indicating that the pips are able to germinate. Unfortunately, this maturity is not usefull to the winegrower because it comes few days after veraison in mid August for the Malbec in Cahors.

Other maturities are more relevant to determine harvest time and it is by tasting berries that we can estimate them, the features of the grapes will become those of the wine.
- "Technological" maturity : the pulp, acid and sticked both to the skin and seeds will become very sweet, with low acidity and very fluid (cell breakdown) at maturity.
- Aromatic maturity (mainly on the skin) is the transition from a thick skin with herbaceous aromas to a skin that breaks easily when chewing, with notes of intense jam.
- The phenolic maturity for which the pips of a green color and very astringent, will gradually turn brown and become crisp, toasty and nutty, instead of herbaceous notes.

We must separate pulp, skins and pips when tasting (see photo), and tasting them in that order because if the pips aren't ripe, they disrupt the palate so much with their astringency that you won't be able to taste pulp and skin !
These different maturities come only together on the best terroirs and for great vintages. In other years, we must make a choice to preserve the balance of wine and over all to make the Cahors wine we estimate the best.

Back from Cahors Malbec tour : It's a success !

2009-09-10T23:59:00.005+02:00

The first Cahors Malbec tour is just over and we can already say it's a success considering the enthousiasm of wine professionals about the quality and originality of the Cahors Malbec wines tasted in Boston, Chicago and Washigton DC.

More than 100 wine professionals (importers, distributors, restaurant owners, journalists or bloggers) came in each city to taste wines of 28 independant Cahors winemakers and of course the 2 vintages we were introducing there : Château Paillas vintage 2005, already available in the US, and Château paillas vintage 2007, that we are about to release in France.

Each of these conoisseurs was surprised by freshness, balance and fruitiness of our wines, especially by the difference between both wines, only due to terroir.
A great reward for our work, thanks to all of them.

Writers and trade are sharing the good news with their readers and customers like Dave from the blog cheapwinefinder.com who chose one of the special labels of Château Paillas (Domaine de Paillas is the previous name of our estate) drawn by french comics artist Bruno DiSano to illustrate his article about the Cahors Malbec tasting.

A great vintage 2009 for Cahors wines ?

2009-09-08T00:35:00.001+02:00

Even if it's too early to tell, we can make an assessment of the weather during summer. Few days before the beginning of harvest, vintage 2009 sounds promising ...

But why ? In fact, we had a unusual sunny summer in the Cahors vineyard, far above the mean. Rainfall was limited to a few stormy episodes and month of July and August were particularly warm.

If this weather continue, like it seems to be, the grapes will get ripe and healthy for the last weeks of September, slightly ahead of previous years.

But the way is long to get great Cahors wine, and for all other things, like to know if skin and pips ripeness (tannins and aromas) will complete, we have to wait until our first berry tasting. we'll see how it goes in the next days.

Château Paillas vintage 2007 soon available

2009-08-14T11:52:00.002+02:00

Bottling of our full of promise Cahors wine Château Paillas 2007 is over.

More than 20 months of ageing in stainless steel tanks allowed the wine to be more supple, with melted tannins, and preserved an amazing fruitiness of Malbec for that vintage.

The wine will be available for sale in the next few weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions #2 (A bit of geography)

2009-08-04T16:56:00.000+02:00

What is Cahors ?
Cahors is a small town (about 20.000 people) that gave its name to the Cahors wine.
It is located in South West of France, halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 km north from the city of Toulouse and 150 km east from the city of Bordeaux.

What kind of landscape can I find around Cahors ?

The region of Cahors is a calcareous plateau from Jurassic era, digged by the river Lot. The Wine area (where we can make Cahors wines) is located west from the town of Cahors, along the river Lot, on both banks and over the plateau.
Here you can see small movies about Cahors and South West made by the tourism agency.

And what about Château Paillas ?
Château Paillas is located near the small village of Floressas in the South West of Cahors wine area, on the edge of the plateau, overlooking the valley of the river Lot.
You can scroll on google maps to discover Cahors wine area.

View Larger Map

Fell free to ask questions in the comments or email us at info@paillas.com

Château Paillas on the Cahors Malbec Tour

2009-07-29T17:08:00.005+02:00

As a famous man said few month ago : "We will begin the next great chapter in America's story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea - Yes we can !"

Great speech but what if these 3 words were : "Cahors Malbec Tour" ?!?

Château Paillas will participate to this first Cahors Malbec Tour that will take place from August 31st to September 2nd in northeast of the United States.

The Cahors Malbec Tour will go as follow : 3 Cahors wine tasting in 3 different cities as Boston, Chicago and Washington D.C.

If you are interested in meeting us, taste or talk about our wines, feel free to contact us at info@paillas.com

3rd Malbec days in Cahors

2009-07-08T11:00:00.003+02:00

The third Malbec days will take place once more in the city of Cahors next spring.
As last year, professionals and lovers will discover malbecs from all over the world like Cahors wines of course but also more than 10 differents Malbec countries (Argentina, Chile, South Africa, California, ...)

This time, the theme will be "terroirs of malbec", a nice occasion to learn more about how a terroir can influence Malbec wines !
Save the dates and reserve your participation to this international event now on www.cahorsmalbec.com

Chateau Paillas wines on everywine.co.uk

2009-06-25T09:29:00.001+02:00

Living in the United Kingdom, you can now find Château Paillas wine vintage 2002 available online on Everywine.co.uk , delivering to most of the UK mainland. Do not hesitate to taste one of our best Cahors wines, ready to drink from now.

Chateau Paillas : Best of Cahors Malbec

2009-06-24T06:30:00.004+02:00

Last Monday, during the Vinexpo 2009 wine fair located in Bordeaux, was held the "Malbec Summit", two seminars organized by the "Union Interprofessionelle du Vin de Cahors" to present the range of Malbec wines from all over the world and particularly from Argentina and Cahors.

The chateau Paillas wine, vintage 2005, was selected by the american wine journalist Roger Morris (Wine Enthusiast, Saveur, Beverage Media, ...) to represent the feisty and powerful Cahors wines segment at the sit-down tasting "Best of Cahors Malbec" commented by himself, Stephen Brook (english wine journalist) and François Gaillard (wine consultant in the United States)

Then they led a discussion about the quality and styles of wines produced in Cahors area with journalists, buyers and winemakers.