A medium-deep garnet red colour. Whilst at the same time spicy, herby, savoury and ever-so-slightly meaty, this wine certainly isn't short on fruit aromas, with an abundance of red and black fruits steeped in eau de vie. It is also mature enough to have developed plenty of secondary citrus peel, blackcurrant leaf, cedar and forest floor aromas. And what the palate might lack in true complexity is more than made up for in its sheer drinkability. It still has the slightly tannic grip of a traditional Cahors, but the absence of any oak influence means that the fruit sings through in a deliciously vibrant way, with flavours of bramble, blackcurrant, tart red cherry and a streak of lip-smacking acidity. It really is a beautiful combination of sweet and sour, perfectly balanced and seemingly approaching the peak of its powers, although it certainly has the structure to stay there for a few years yet. A really delicious wine.

A medium garnet red colour, with aromas of bramble fruits, dried orange peel, smoke, damp earth, mushroom/truffle and some pretty attractive polished wood.... and what seems like an unmistakeable - though completely harmonious - touch of farmyard. The fruit is bright and still relatively fresh, perhaps just heading towards the secondary/tertiary stage, whilst the tannins are present, even slightly grippy, but certainly not drying. Flavours of cherry kernel and red and black fruits abound, and there is a lovely layer of juicy acidity keeping it beautifully fresh. My first impression on tasting this wine was that this is mature and needs drinking within the next 2 to 3 years, but tasting the rest of the bottle on day 2, it remains fresh and really quite delicious, so perhaps there's even more life in it. Either way, it really is one of the most enjoyable Cahors I've tasted - soft, but with real character, and well worth the price for such a lovely, mature wine. Cracking stuff, which does great credit to the Cahors appellation.
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Not quite black, but not far off - the colour is deep, dark, opaque purple with barely even a visible rim! On day one, this is pretty difficult to taste, such is the sheer taughtness of its structure, although there is clearly a very serious wine lurking beneath. On day 2, it begins to open-up and show real class, displaying intense aromas of bramble, blackcurrant, black cherry and plum, with background notes of damp earth, polished leather, cedar and charred oak. And whilst the tannins are still very grippy and tight, the fruit is much more expressive - ripe, extracted and spicy, though certainly not overtly rich or sweet, with plenty of balancing acidity. Previous vintages of this wine have come across as rather modern and - though possibly also built to last - made to be approachable at a relatively young age. This one, however, makes no attempt to please the moderinists and probably needs at least 5 more years (and possibly 10+) to even begin to show its true potential. But with that much structure - and that much fruit - this is a wine which will eventually blossom into something rather special - and blow much loftier (and far more expensive) so-called "classed growth" Claret out of the water.

A bright, clear purple/magenta colour with a light ruby rim. This is a Madiran which (amazingly) says "drink me now!" The nose offers copious aromas of plum, blackcurrant, cherry and even a hint of fresh apple, with subtle notes of cream and tobacco. The palate is light, airy and fresh, encompassing flavours of red, black and white fruits, with hints of Asian spice and bitter chocolate, agreeably soft tannins and really juicy acidity. For a wine so young, this is a really juicy, tangy, approachable style of Madiran, which is deliciously soft and drinkable now, or to be enjoyed over the next couple of years.

New vintage - tasting note to follow.

An immensely rich and full-bodied wine, with masses of dark fruit flavours, spicy, chocolatey tannins and excellent underlying acidity - well balanced, in a big sort of way. It can be drunk now, but definitely needs rich food to bring the best out of it - something flavoursome and fatty, such as a rib of beef, lamb chops or duck. An excellent wine for the long haul.

A deep-ish purple core with a small ruby rim. Oodles of black and red fruit aromas, allied to notes of cedar, tobacco and spice. The palate is wonderfully open and expressive - flavours of black and red cherry, blackcurrant and spices, with a sweet/sour and agnostura bitters finish. The zesty acidity and ripe tannins make for a gloriously balanced and drinkable wine. The rich texture and lovely sweet/sour fruit flavours make this a good wine to drink on its own, but also makes it a great accompaniment to meats. Fronton is not far from Toulouse, so get those garlic and herb-infused sausages on the barbie! 

A deep, dark, almost blue/purple with a tiny rim. The nose is extremely fragrant with aromas of bramble and tar, tobacco, mixed spice and a touch of citrus peel. The palate is big too, but with an extremely fresh core of red cherry, bramble and blackcurrant fruit, with deliciously bright, juicy acidity. Silky tannins add plenty of grip to the fruit, whilst the acidity carries through to a long, juicy finish. This is really good Syrah, with lots of varietal character, combined with plenty of south-west terroir. From a region not normally renowned for Syrah, it just shows what can be achieved, in the hands of a talented winemaker.