WTN: Ch. Haut-Monplaisir 2006 (Cahors)

[Otto]

Château Haut-Monplaisir Cahors 2006

c.11€. A nice wine for the price, but I was a bit dismayed to see some oak on this. I recently had the '05 and '04 and the oak had largely integrated in them, so I guess this '06 should still rest for a year or two - though I had thought such cheap wines would be ready on release. Under the oak, there was a meaty, dark fruit flavour that was pure Cahors; more a bright, red fruit palate than what the scent promised. Good structure, refreshing enough. Nice!

[David M. Bueker]

I regularly travel to Figeac, France (30 minutes or so from Cahors) & I am stunned at the lovely bottles of Cahors that can be had for €5-10.

[Otto]

Considering the Finnish taxes and the margins that our monopoly gets, this bottle should be closer to the 5€ mark over there.

[Tim York]

I agree that the range at Haut-Montplaisir is excellent and superb value. At the tasting last April on the Valentré bridge, owner Daniel Founié mistakenly let me catch a glimpse of his Horeca (trade wholesale) tariff and I recall this cuvée being offered at about €3,50 - €4. Alko are doing very nicely, especially as they can probably claim a bigger discount given their huge buying power.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Aaagh, gonna have to open up a Cahors to keep up with you folks!

[Otto]

I agree that the range at Haut-Montplaisir is excellent and superb value. At the tasting last April on the Valentré bridge, owner Daniel Founié mistakenly let me catch a glimpse of his Horeca (trade wholesale) tariff and I recall this cuvée being offered at about €3,50 - €4. Alko are doing very nicely, especially as they can probably claim a bigger discount given their huge buying power.

If we can get a wine at an ex-cellar price of 3€ we can get it to alko for about 11€ or the special order selection for about 14€. Alko's mark ups really suck, don't they?

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Otto, you are not alone out there! Various mark-ups here just as bad.