Our all too brief overview and first immersion into Cahors concludes with Château Saint-Sernin, and oh what a finale! Total fangirl post here, so heads up!
Nose: Couldn't get to the nose at first due to gazing at the lovely color, which was definitely more on the ruby side than your average violet. Guess that's also a sign there's some sort of blend going on here as opposed to a 100% Malbec. Not 100% sure on that. And like the ruby color, the first thing which hits is a big note of black cherry. Things get sweeter at first with a note of anise appearing, but then with more time the earthier side cuts through, full of clove and tobacco leaf.
Palate: Lots of the bold stuff from the nose, and attending in quite a similar running order: cherry, blackberry and then the earthier elements. The tannins are quite grippy and the acidity is pretty intense.
Finish: Drying and somewhat short, with the fruit elements rising and cresting quite quickly, but by the ending there's a wonderful wave of rosemary making its first appearance and making the whole ride quite worthwhile.
I'm glad I bought two bottles of this, because in about two years this will be a special bottle for a special occasion. A lovely way to end two weeks in Cahors.
$20