Château Haut-Monplaisir Tradition Malbec 2023

Château Haut-Monplaisir is one of the standout modern estates in Cahors, run by Cathy and Daniel Fournié along with their daughter Mathilde. The family took over the property in 1998 with the goal of moving beyond cooperative production and establishing a more terroir focused identity for their wines. Located on the third terraces of the Lot Valley in southwest France, the estate farms organically across clay and limestone soils that are especially well suited to malbec, or côt as it is traditionally known in the region. Over the years the Fourniés worked closely with Pascal Verhaeghe of Château du Cèdre, one of Cahors’ benchmark producers, helping refine a style that emphasizes freshness and precision alongside the grape’s natural depth.

The Tradition bottling is their clearest expression of classic Cahors malbec. Unlike the softer, fruit driven versions associated with Argentina, this wine leans into the darker, more mineral side of the grape. The vineyards sit on south facing terraces that produce naturally concentrated fruit while still retaining acidity and structure. It is a style deeply tied to the region, where malbec tends to show more earth, graphite, spice, and savory character than overt sweetness or plushness.

Winemaking is traditional but carefully calibrated. The fruit is fully destemmed and fermented at controlled temperatures with a long maceration, often close to a month, to draw out structure and aromatic complexity without becoming overly rustic. Aging takes place primarily in concrete tanks with a smaller portion in neutral oak barrels for roughly 18 to 20 months. That élevage keeps the wine grounded in freshness and texture rather than heavy oak influence, allowing the tannins to soften while preserving the wine’s earthy character. The wine is bottled without filtration.

The wine shows dark blackberry, cassis, black cherry, and plum layered with violet, cracked pepper, mint, and a distinctly stony mineral edge. There is real structure here, but the tannins tend to feel more chalky and savory than aggressive. Compared with many modern malbecs, the finish is longer, drier, and more herbal, carrying a sense of freshness that makes the wine especially compelling at the table. It is one of those bottles that reminds you malbec’s original home was Cahors, not Mendoza.