Ponzac Patiemment Cahors 2014

Ponzac Patiemment Cahors is made from 100% Malbec

Grown on soils of red (irony) clay and limestone, this ambitious Cahors is one of the best example of what can be achieved when working with high precision on the "Causse". It combines the ripeness and the fat of Malbec of the clay based soils and the purity in fruit of the limestone.  

Dark color, almost black as it should be for a ripe and concentrated wine from Malbec. The nose shows notes of fresh black fruit (blackberries) and also some more candied fruit and orange peal. It has also a spicy dimension to it (cinnamon). The texture is dense and velvety but the wine remains crisp and tensed all the way to the finish. Great food wine it will match any grilled meat dishes.

Review:

"A step up both in quality and in price, the 2015 Cahors Patiemment is all Malbec, from clay and limestone soils, that was brought up mostly in tank, with 15% in oak. More balanced than the Maintenant release, with notes of blueberries, chocolate, crushed rocks, and hints of graphite, it’s medium to full-bodied, rounded, layered, and textured on the palate. It's a beautiful wine and I'd pay the uptick in price."
- Jeb Dunnuck (March 27th 2019), 91 pts

Ponzac Maintenant Cahors is made from 100% Malbec

Unoaked, this wine is typical of Cahors from the Plateau the "Causse" as they call it here. The climate here is much more severe and continental than in the valley of the Lot where most of the Cahors are grown. The grapes for this wine are grown on soils rich in limestone. This explains the purity of the aromas and the fruit.

Dark color with violet reflection. The nose exhibits fresh notes of violet and blackberries that are typical characteristics of wines made from Malbec in the Cahors district. On the palate, the fruit is very obvious (again blackberries and dark cherries). The wine is very tensed and long. Despite the hot vintage, it is extremely fresh and lively. A great wine to sip away with some cold meat or just a nice pasta dish with tomatoes.

Review:

- Wine & Spirits (October 2021), 92 pts

Ponzac Maintenant ou Jamais Cahors is made from 100 percent Malbec.

A deep red color, lots of red fruit aromas on the nose with hints of plum. On the palate, it is smooth with blackcurrant flavors, rounded tannins and just a touch of acidity.

Excelent as an aperitif or paired with cheese, cooked and grilled meat.

Review:

"Mathieu and Virginie Molinié selected the fruit for this wine from their parcels in limestone marl, and aged the wine in stainless steel for about a year, delivering red strawberry and cherry fruit flavors with a brambly edge. The fruit turns darker as you sit with it, closing in on raspberry jam, but maintains a pinging acidity throughout."

- Wine & Spirits (October 2021) 91 Points

Ponzac Malbec Cahors is made from 100 percent Malbec.

The wine is produced from vineyards planted on a mineral and fresh terroir - the chalky plateau of Carnac - which produces unique wines.
The nose shows notes of fresh black fruits (blackberries) with candied fruits and spices. The texture is dense and velvety and the wine is crisp and tense all the way to the finish.

This wine will pair very well with beef tartare, meat in sauce, curries and grilled meat.

Review:

"A finely balanced, rich wine, this both dense and elegant. Spice and a dry core of tannins are both very much in evidence at this stage, although both will soften in time. It has power and concentration, and aging potential. Drink from 2022. - ROGER VOSS"
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine (November 2020), 90 pts

Ponzac Chateau Ponzac is made from 100 percent Malbec.

The wine is produced from vineyards planted on a mineral and fresh terroir - the chalky plateau of Carnac - which produces unique wines.
The nose shows notes of fresh black fruits (blackberries) with candied fruits and spices. The texture is dense and velvety and the wine is crisp and tense all the way to the finish.

This wine will pair very well with beef tartare, meat in sauce, curries and grilled meat.

Review:

"Matthieu Molinié’s family has roots in the village of Carnac-Rouffiac that stretch back to the 14th century. In the present day, he farms 69 acres of vines in Cahors, selecting this malbec from parcels grown in clay and limestone soils. The wine fills out its massive tannic frame with dark-purple fruit flavors, girded by a mineral twang and some herbal notes. Open it when you put the pork belly in the oven and pour it once the pork comes out for a luxurious Sunday roast."

- Wine & Spirits (October 2021), 92 pts

Benjamin Romeo Predicador Tinto is made from 96 percent Tempranillo, 2 percent Garnacha, 1 percent Graciano and 1 percent Mazuelo.

Predicador, or “Preacher,” named after Clint Eastwood’s everyman character in the 1985 film Pale Rider, is composed of 96 percent Tempranillo, 2 percent Garnacha, 1 percent Graciano and 1 percent Mazuelo. The grapes are sourced from 15 different plots within San Vicente and Briones in Rioja Alta which on average yield less than 2 kg per vine. The wine is fermented in oak and stainless steel with a two-day cold maceration and aged for sixteen months in new French oak. The wine was filtered but not fined. This vintage some La Cueva del Contador, Contador and La Vina de Andres were added for concentration and balance.

The aromatics open up with crushed red cherries, balsamic notes and the sweet baking spices of cinnamon and clove. The fruity and spicy characteristics found in the nose follow through on the palate, along with dried cranberry, black cherry and elegant fine-grained tannin supporting the tart red fruit and adding to its length and depth.

Review:

Predicador was a wine that was born as a minor wine at a very specific moment in time, and many people (including yours truly) had not quite realized it has grown into an adult, proper Rioja red. The 2014 Predicador I tasted had only been bottled for two weeks and was a little dizzy. But if you wait or can read between the lines, it's terribly perfumed and intoxicating, with penetrating aromas of macerated cherries and very decayed violets, a little decadent. The palate is silky, with superb tannins and great balance. This is among the best vintages ever released since the initial 2004.

- Wine Advocate 92 Points