Cahors & the Pyrenean Southwest

Cahors: dark, firm Malbec from the Lot valley, the original 'black wine'.

Red only, led by Malbec (locally Côt or Auxerrois) with a little Merlot or Tannat allowed. Blackcurrant, black pepper and liquorice with a mineral edge, tighter and leaner than Argentine Malbec. Valley wines drink young; plateau wines need years.

Red only, led by Malbec (locally Côt or Auxerrois) with a little Merlot or Tannat allowed. Blackcurrant, black pepper and liquorice with a mineral edge, tighter and leaner than Argentine Malbec. Valley wines drink young; plateau wines need years.

Jurançon Sec: a dry, zesty Manseng white from the Pyrenean foothills.

Grapefruit, lime, tropical fruit and a floral note, with the lively acidity of mountain-grown grapes. Most Jurançon made is dry. A great all-round white for fish, goat's cheese and spicy food.

Grapefruit, lime, tropical fruit and a floral note, with the lively acidity of mountain-grown grapes. Most Jurançon made is dry. A great all-round white for fish, goat's cheese and spicy food.

Duck confit or magret with Cahors.

The classic southwest match. Cahors's tannin and acidity cut through the richness of duck, and its dark fruit suits the browned skin.

The classic southwest match. Cahors's tannin and acidity cut through the richness of duck, and its dark fruit suits the browned skin.

Madiran: Tannat at full power, inky and tannic, made for duck and cassoulet.

Red only, built on Tannat with some Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon or Fer Servadou. Black fruit, firm tannin and high acidity; young bottles are austere, but five to eight years in the cellar softens them towards cassis and prune.

Red only, built on Tannat with some Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon or Fer Servadou. Black fruit, firm tannin and high acidity; young bottles are austere, but five to eight years in the cellar softens them towards cassis and prune.

Cassoulet with Madiran or a plateau Cahors.

A rich stew of beans, sausage and duck needs a wine with grip. Madiran's tannin and acidity clean the palate between bites.

A rich stew of beans, sausage and duck needs a wine with grip. Madiran's tannin and acidity clean the palate between bites.

Rare find: a Basque Irouléguy red - Arretxea's Haitza or Brana's Ohitza.

Few friends will have tasted Basque Tannat. Haitza is the age-worthy top bottle; the co-op red is a fair-priced taste.

Few friends will have tasted Basque Tannat. Haitza is the age-worthy top bottle; the co-op red is a fair-priced taste.

Jurançon moelleux and Vendanges Tardives: Petit Manseng dried on the vine, rich yet fresh.

Honey, pineapple, passion fruit, cinnamon and candied citrus, held up by bright acidity so it never turns heavy. Made by letting grapes shrivel on the vine into November and December, not by noble rot.

Honey, pineapple, passion fruit, cinnamon and candied citrus, held up by bright acidity so it never turns heavy. Made by letting grapes shrivel on the vine into November and December, not by noble rot.

Jurançon's sweet wine is dried on the vine, helped by warm southerly winds.

Petit Manseng has thick skins and small berries, so it can hang on the vine into November and December and shrivel without rotting. Warm dry autumn winds from the south speed the drying, and mountain nights keep the acidity bright.

Petit Manseng has thick skins and small berries, so it can hang on the vine into November and December and shrivel without rotting. Warm dry autumn winds from the south speed the drying, and mountain nights keep the acidity bright.

Château d'Aydie: the Laplace family's Madiran, early to soften Tannat with new techniques.

The family has made wine here since the 1920s, and Frédéric Laplace was the first to bottle Madiran under his own name. Aydie was among the first to use micro-oxygenation.

The family has made wine here since the 1920s, and Frédéric Laplace was the first to bottle Madiran under his own name. Aydie was among the first to use micro-oxygenation.

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh: Madiran country's white, dry and sweet, from Manseng and Courbu.

Made from the same hills as Madiran. The dry Sec is fresh and citrusy, good with oysters and fish; the sweet versions, picked late, are honeyed and balanced by acidity and made for foie gras.

Made from the same hills as Madiran. The dry Sec is fresh and citrusy, good with oysters and fish; the sweet versions, picked late, are honeyed and balanced by acidity and made for foie gras.

Château de Chambert: plateau Malbec above Puy-l'Évêque, farmed biodynamically.

Philippe Lejeune took over in 2007, brought in a top consultant and switched to biodynamics. The Grand Vin draws on two named vineyards, Les Puits and Cerisier.

Philippe Lejeune took over in 2007, brought in a top consultant and switched to biodynamics. The Grand Vin draws on two named vineyards, Les Puits and Cerisier.

Cahors oak is a style choice: from no new oak to ripe, heavily extracted reds.

Some estates age in large old casks for a classic, tight style. Others lean on small new barrels for sweeter, spicier reds. Several leading names, including Château du Cèdre, have moved to larger casks to rein the oak in.

Some estates age in large old casks for a classic, tight style. Others lean on small new barrels for sweeter, spicier reds. Several leading names, including Château du Cèdre, have moved to larger casks to rein the oak in.

Gaillac: old local grapes, rustic Mauzac bubbles and sweet wines in the Tarn.

A big, varied appellation near Albi, with white, red, rosé, sweet, lightly fizzy Perlé and rustic sparkling wines. Local grapes such as Mauzac, Len de l'El, Duras and Braucol are the draw. Quality is uneven, so buy by producer.

A big, varied appellation near Albi, with white, red, rosé, sweet, lightly fizzy Perlé and rustic sparkling wines. Local grapes such as Mauzac, Len de l'El, Duras and Braucol are the draw. Quality is uneven, so buy by producer.

Mauzac: Gaillac's old white grape and the base of its rustic sparkling wine.

An old local white, long the main white of Gaillac, with apple and pear fruit. Mauzac is the only grape in Gaillac's Méthode Gaillacoise sparkling and also makes dry and sweet still wines.

An old local white, long the main white of Gaillac, with apple and pear fruit. Mauzac is the only grape in Gaillac's Méthode Gaillacoise sparkling and also makes dry and sweet still wines.

Méthode Gaillacoise: one fermentation, finished in the bottle, no added sugar.

Mauzac juice is bottled before fermentation is done, so the bubbles come from the grape's own sugar. Sweetness varies from bottle to bottle, and the wine can age four or five years.

Mauzac juice is bottled before fermentation is done, so the bubbles come from the grape's own sugar. Sweetness varies from bottle to bottle, and the wine can age four or five years.

Clos Triguedina: Probus, parcel wines and the revived 'New Black Wine'.

Jean-Luc Baldès's Vire-sur-Lot estate is a Cahors pioneer. Probus is the flagship; New Black Wine revives an old heating technique.

Clos Triguedina, in Vire-sur-Lot on limestone and clay terraces, is run by Jean-Luc Baldès, described by the Wine Scholar Guild as a pioneer of the appellation. The range steps up in three layers. The Clos bottling blends Malbec with some Merlot and Tannat. Probus is made from old Malbec, around fifty years old when Decanter wrote it up, and is the long-lived flagship. Les Sélections Parcellaires bottles single plots, including Les Galets Nozières and Petites Cailles. The most unusual wine is New Black Wine. In the mid-1990s Baldès began reviving the medieval 'black wine' idea by heating selected bunches of Malbec in tank for half an hour before fermentation; it has carried the New Black Wine name since 2010 and is dense, grippy and full of liquorice. Oak and extraction vary by cuvée, so taste before you commit to the top bottles.

Château du Cèdre: Cahors's iconic estate; Le Cèdre and GC are built to age.

The Verhaeghe family's Vire-sur-Lot estate makes Le Cèdre, mostly Malbec, and GC, from very old vines. Built to age.

Château du Cèdre, run by the Verhaeghe family at Vire-sur-Lot, is listed as Cahors's iconic estate in the Wine Scholar Guild's South West guide. The vineyards sit on a well-drained limestone fan and on clay with large stones. The estate wine, Le Cèdre, is mostly Malbec, and GC, short for Grand Cèdre, comes from very old Malbec vines and is the top bottling. The house has changed its approach over time: it moved from small barriques to larger 500-litre tonneaux and big oval casks so that the oak frames the fruit rather than dominating it. Collectors on wine forums say its wines need ten years or more, so buy with the cellar in mind.

Alain Brumont: Montus, La Tyre and Bouscassé Vieilles Vignes are Madiran's reference wines.

Brumont made his name from the 1980s with pure Tannat from carefully chosen hillside sites. Montus and Bouscassé are his two estates.

Alain Brumont took over his family's Château Bouscassé in the late 1970s and bought the abandoned Château Montus in 1980. At a time when neighbours blended Tannat with Bordeaux grapes to tame it, he bottled pure Tannat from the mid-1980s, hand-picked, chose hillside plots others had ignored and planted a low-yielding clone. Montus sits on large reddish pebbles similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape; Bouscassé has older clay-limestone vines. The wines to seek out are Montus La Tyre, from his highest slope at about 260 metres, Montus XL, aged in large new barrels, and Bouscassé Vieilles Vignes, pure Tannat from vines at least fifty years old and the most classic of his reds. He prefers long, gentle extraction to micro-oxygenation. His whites include the dry Les Jardins Philosophiques and sweet Frimaire; Menhir is his cheaper Côtes de Gascogne Tannat-Merlot.

Top Cahors: plateau and old-vine Malbec cuvées, from oaked and ripe to unoaked and tight.

The leading estates make one or more serious Malbecs from plateau or named plots. Expect deep colour, firm tannin and a decade or more in the cellar, but taste first: oak and ripeness vary widely.

Cahors is no longer one style. The leading estates now make one or more top Malbecs from old vines, the limestone plateau or named parcels, and they pull in different directions. Château du Cèdre has moved from small barriques to larger casks to reduce oak flavour. Domaine de la Bérangeraie keeps its iron-rich sidérolithique cuvées unoaked and barrel-ages the plateau wines. Château Haut-Monplaisir now ages for two years because the tannins stayed hard otherwise. Clos Triguedina revived the old 'black wine' idea by gently heating some of the grapes. A few Cahors producers still lean towards ripe, extracted, heavily oaked wines, so a top price does not always mean more terroir. For classic Cahors, ask for the plateau cuvée and a producer who uses larger, older oak.

Plageoles: the defender of Gaillac's local grapes; Mauzac Nature is the one to buy.

A family estate farming since 1805, organic and fascinated by rare varieties. Mauzac Nature is its rustic sparkling; Vin d'Autan is a sweet Ondenc.

Domaine Plageoles is the estate that keeps Gaillac's old grapes alive. The family has farmed since 1805 and works organically. Robert Plageoles is a Mauzac specialist who has argued the grape descends from a Roman variety and who stresses how much the Grésigne forest shapes the local climate. The headline wines are Mauzac Nature, a dry, rustic sparkling in the Méthode Gaillacoise style, where the first fermentation finishes in the bottle and no sugar is added, and Vin d'Autan, a sweet wine from passerillage-dried Ondenc. Plageoles also bottles a dry Mauzac, so you can taste the grape without bubbles or sugar. Serve Mauzac Nature with shellfish or charcuterie, and Vin d'Autan with foie gras or Roquefort.

Arretxea: Haitza, the age-worthy Tannat blend that defines top Irouléguy.

A small, quality-first Irouléguy estate. Haitza Rouge is its top red and the one to seek out.

Domaine Arretxea is listed by the Wine Scholar Guild among the notable Irouléguy producers, alongside Domaine Ilarria. Its top red, Haitza, is a Tannat-led blend that Wine with Seth singles out as the age-worthy top tier. Irouléguy's whole identity explains what to expect: vines on steep, red-soiled terraces in the Basque foothills, picked by hand, in tiny quantities, so reds combine Tannat's firm structure with mountain-grown acidity. The appellation is tiny, so production is small and bottles are best found locally. Irouléguy reds suit grilled lamb, piperade and aged sheep's-milk cheese such as Ossau-Iraty. If you see Haitza on a list, order it.

Cahors quality follows the land: river terraces are lighter, the plateau is serious.

The vines sit on terraces above the Lot and on the limestone plateau, the Causses. Wines from the lowest terrace, near the river, are fruitier and for early drinking. The upper terraces and the plateau give the tannic, mineral, long-lived wines.

The vines sit on terraces above the Lot and on the limestone plateau, the Causses. Wines from the lowest terrace, near the river, are fruitier and for early drinking. The upper terraces and the plateau give the tannic, mineral, long-lived wines.

In the glass: Valley terraces: fruitier, softer, earlier. Plateau and upper terraces: firmer, more mineral, built to age

Madiran quality starts on the slope: clay-limestone west-facing sites age best.

Hilltops are pebbly and well-drained, hillsides are clay-limestone and hold water, and the lower slopes are heavier clay. The western clay-limestone slopes are considered especially good for age-worthy Tannat.

Hilltops are pebbly and well-drained, hillsides are clay-limestone and hold water, and the lower slopes are heavier clay. The western clay-limestone slopes are considered especially good for age-worthy Tannat.

In the glass: Hilltop pebbles: lighter drainage and perfume. Clay-limestone: structure, depth and long ageing

Jurançon's sweet wine is dried on the vine, helped by warm southerly winds.

Petit Manseng has thick skins and small berries, so it can hang on the vine into November and December and shrivel without rotting. Warm dry autumn winds from the south speed the drying, and mountain nights keep the acidity bright.

Petit Manseng has thick skins and small berries, so it can hang on the vine into November and December and shrivel without rotting. Warm dry autumn winds from the south speed the drying, and mountain nights keep the acidity bright.

In the glass: Concentrated sweetness with honey, pineapple and spice, held up by sharp acidity

Irouléguy's terraces are too steep for machines, so everything is picked by hand.

Vines climb steep, red-soiled slopes in the Basque foothills, some very steep. Volumes are tiny, made by a co-operative and a few small estates, so bottles are best found on the spot.

Vines climb steep, red-soiled slopes in the Basque foothills, some very steep. Volumes are tiny, made by a co-operative and a few small estates, so bottles are best found on the spot.

In the glass: Low volumes, concentrated Tannat reds and fresh mountain whites

'Black wine': Cahors's old trick of heating some grapes to boost colour and extract.

In the Middle Ages Cahors was so dark and strong it was called black wine. A few estates, led by Clos Triguedina, have revived the idea by heating selected Malbec bunches for a short time before fermentation.

In the Middle Ages Cahors was so dark and strong it was called black wine. A few estates, led by Clos Triguedina, have revived the idea by heating selected Malbec bunches for a short time before fermentation.

In the glass: Dense, grippy, liquorice-rich red with deep colour

Cahors oak is a style choice: from no new oak to ripe, heavily extracted reds.

Some estates age in large old casks for a classic, tight style. Others lean on small new barrels for sweeter, spicier reds. Several leading names, including Château du Cèdre, have moved to larger casks to rein the oak in.

Some estates age in large old casks for a classic, tight style. Others lean on small new barrels for sweeter, spicier reds. Several leading names, including Château du Cèdre, have moved to larger casks to rein the oak in.

In the glass: Large old oak: tight, mineral, savoury. New small oak: sweeter, spicier, more polished

Micro-oxygenation was developed in Madiran to tame Tannat's tannin.

Tannat is so tannic that Madiran growers looked for ways to soften it. Adding tiny doses of oxygen during winemaking, now used worldwide, was perfected here.

Tannat is so tannic that young Madiran can be hard to drink. In the early 1990s Patrick Ducournau, working in Madiran, developed micro-oxygenation, a technique that feeds tiny, controlled doses of oxygen into the wine while it is still young. The aim is to soften rough tannins, round the texture and make the wine approachable sooner. It was first associated with Domaine Mouréou, also known as Chapelle Lenclos, and Château d'Aydie, run by the Laplace family, was among the early adopters; the idea then spread to winemakers around the world. Not everyone follows it. Alain Brumont prefers long, gentle extraction and does not rely on micro-oxygenation, so Montus and Bouscassé taste more austere and structured when young. The practical lesson for a buyer is simple: Aydie-style Madiran is easier to drink young, while traditional or Brumont-style bottles need cellaring or a rich dish.

In the glass: Softer, rounder Tannat that drinks younger without losing structure

Sweet Jurançon and Pacherenc are picked late, in several passes, often with netting.

Growers go through the vines repeatedly, picking only what has dried, with netting against birds. Harvests can run into December or later, and some wines are picked on New Year's Eve.

Growers go through the vines repeatedly, picking only what has dried, with netting against birds. Harvests can run into December or later, and some wines are picked on New Year's Eve.

In the glass: Concentrated, honeyed sweetness with high acidity

Méthode Gaillacoise: one fermentation, finished in the bottle, no added sugar.

Mauzac juice is bottled before fermentation is done, so the bubbles come from the grape's own sugar. Sweetness varies from bottle to bottle, and the wine can age four or five years.

Mauzac juice is bottled before fermentation is done, so the bubbles come from the grape's own sugar. Sweetness varies from bottle to bottle, and the wine can age four or five years.

In the glass: Soft bubbles, baked apple, and a rustic, cidery edge

Amphora, cement and no sulphur: the natural edge of Cahors and Gaillac.

A growing group works organically or biodynamically and uses amphorae or concrete: Clos Troteligotte in Cahors, Causse Marines and Mayragues in Gaillac. Their wines are fresher and less oaky.

A growing group works organically or biodynamically and uses amphorae or concrete: Clos Troteligotte in Cahors, Causse Marines and Mayragues in Gaillac. Their wines are fresher and less oaky.

In the glass: Fresher, brighter fruit, less oak and extraction