At the heart of Cahors vineyards on the right bank of the Lot, the Château Coustarelle is a property of 30 ha located in the third terraces and a half south-facing hillsides. This exceptional terroir argilocalcaire can produce fine wines with great aging potential. Large high prestige cuvees half in new oak barrels are made from 80% Malbec and 20% Merlot.
The vines are 30 years planted on slopes that give yields of 45-50 hl/ha.
The castle is owned by the Coustarelle Michel, Nadine and Caroline Cassot. It is located in the village of Prayssac.
AOC: CAHORS
AOC Cahors is located in the department of Lot and covers 4,050 hectares of vineyards between Cahors and Soturac. Nicknamed the "black wine" Cahors is a red wine to global reputation, with its dark red in colour, it appears black. And as the saying goes: "If you see your fingers through the colour of the wine, then this is not the Cahors."
Production of about 200,000 hls per year, only in red wine, is based around the Auxerre (or cot or Malbec), the typical grape of the Cahors vineyards. It is accompanied by Merlot and Tannat in assemblies. Cahors wines are full bodied and well structured. They are well coated with soft tannins. The flavours that Cahors offer are quite varied depending on whether they come from, either terraces or plateaus. Red fruit notes are the most common such as cherry, raspberry, currant and cassis.
The texture is dense, rich and velvety mouth alternating between shades of vanilla and liquorice, which bring these powerful wines a very nice balance. The great wines of Cahors are elegant wines that have the size, volume, and length. AOC Cahors indirectly suffer competition from the neighbouring Bordeaux. Winemakers often try to imitate the great Bordeaux, forgetting the uniqueness yet so rich in Cahors, and personality of the Auxerre and its local methods.
