When I saw that the name ‘Paul Hobb’s was associated with the Crocus Cahors, I sat up and took notice. When I noticed the incredibly low price, I just had to learn more. After all, Paul Hobbs is a near-legendary winemaker, famous for his glamorous California Chards and Pinots and internationally recognized for his phenomenal wines from Argentina under the Vina Cobos label. Apparently, Paul really gets around and in 2011 he teamed up with French vigneron, Bertrand Gabriel Vigouroux, to make wine from the Cahors region of southwest France. Together, they formed Crocus Wines, building upon Bertrand’s long experience in the region and Paul expertise with the Malbec grape variety, locally known as Cot. They like to describe their efforts and blending modern with traditional, referring to Cahors ancient roots and today’s quality-focused winemaking techniques.

The wine of Cahors, once known as France’s ‘black wine’ due to its deep color and heavy tannin, once rivaled the red wines of Bordeaux, 150 miles due west. Cahors, itself, has been a thriving city since Roman times and in its heyday enjoyed widespread acclaim for its wine. Unfortunately, the Bordelais won the PR battle and throttled the distribution of its upstart neighbor. Mother Nature did the rest with repeated scourges of disease, rot and killer frosts. Cahors never regained its dominance but did manage to enter the modern wine scene with an official appellation in 1971. The rules require that Cahors be based on a minimum of 70% Malbec, with Tannat and Merlot being the other allowed grape varieties.

It's quite an interesting region because its location in southwest France benefits from three distinct climate influences, Maritime, Continental and Mediterranean. Rainfall is adequate, sunshine is plentiful and the regional weather is ideal for quality winegrowing. Vine diseases are less common these days and it’s much easier to produce fully ripe, healthy grapes. Crocus also points out that their estate enjoys three distinct soil types, further adding to the complexity of their wines. The higher plateau is made up of Kimmeridgian clay, while the terraces are of limestone, rocks and clay. Lower down, the river banks are a blend of several alluvial soil types.

The 2020 Crocus L’Atelier Malbec is a perfect expression of the winery’s philosophy; a well-made wine with fresh fruit flavors that also displays a touch of rustic earthiness. Sourced from high-density plantings of low-yielding vines, the wine is fermented and aged in stainless steel. The result is a beautifully balanced example of Malbec, with its dark, plummy fruit and hints of dried herbs and sunbaked earth. It’s a wine that has evolved from the ‘black wine of Cahors’ to an appealing, delicious and affordable version that is certain to please modern palates.