Royal freshness with sunny hints of raspberry and strawberry combined with a beneficial acidity.
Le Rose Malbec du Prince is excellent rosé wine from His Royal Highness Prince Henrik’s beloved Malbec. The wine comes from the first terraces along the Lot river.
94 POINTS
WineWhere Ever
“VERY PROFESSIONAL”
Royal rosé wine on Malbec. It would almost be an insult to his majesty to speak ill of this wine, but luckily we don’t have to worry about that, because there are plenty of positive things to pick up on. It has good weight, fullness, fine tannins, fresh fruit, lively acidity and a taste that continues to develop in the mouth in the best possible way. Very well-balanced and overall a rosé that differentiates itself from the classic Provençal style, which almost feels liberating. This is first and foremost a wine, and secondly a rosé.
92 POINTS
Food & Monopoly
“THE CROWN PRINCE’S WINE – IT REALLY LASTS!”
It is almost an honor to review and test the prince’s wine, as it reminds me of my childhood, when I was told that “the prince’s wine was not worth drinking”. I think it was because it was a time when the prince was not so popular. Now, however, it is about Chateau de Cayx, which I have tasted in several versions – but never their rose, which is made from 100% Malbec. In the nose it has a wonderful aroma of strawberry, raspberry, peach and melon. In the mouth, it is rich in acid and has elegance and a delicate fruity sweetness – just like a Frenchman has. A good and exciting glass. The Crown Prince’s wine – it really lasts!
Ministry of Wine
“WITHOUT A DOUBT AN AUDIENCE PLEASER”
The rosé has a nice salmon color and opens to a fruity aroma of ripe red fruits and a note of honey. In the taste you will again find a fruity sweetness, some citrus and cantaloupe. The wine has a slightly full and creamy body. A bit of an Old-School rosé in the style with a full and slightly sweet taste. Undoubtedly a crowd pleaser! Will work excellently for summer salads or as an aperitif.
Château de Cayx
Located in the heart of the Cahors district, Château de Cayx can be traced all the way back to the 15th century, when it was built to control navigation on the Lot River. The castle is built on the slope of a hill, from which you can see the Lot river and the small village of Caïx, which belongs to the municipality of Luzech. The royal couple bought Château de Cayx in 1974, after which it underwent extensive renovations. The prince consort, who came from the area and was a great art lover, created over a number of years a faithful and authentic architectural heritage at the castle. Today, Château de Cayx therefore appears as a beautiful residence from the 18th century with four round towers that can be traced back to the 15th century and a corner tower that dominates the structure. In front of the southern facade, a large terrace faces the vineyards. The spelling of the place name Caïx has changed several times in recent centuries. Examples include Caysse, Cays, Cais or Caïx. Prince Henrik chose the spelling Cayx, which is easier to pronounce, among other things to avoid an incorrect diphthong of the French phoneme “ai”.
What does Château de Cayx taste like?
Château de Cayx was known for many years for its stable, classic, but also relatively ordinary Cahors wines. However, the castle has taken nothing less than a quantum leap up the quality rankings since 2009, when they employed the young oenologist and winemaker, Alexandre Gélis. Gélis immediately saw the great, untapped potential of Château de Cayx, and ever since his accession he worked purposefully in collaboration with the prince consort towards tighter management and improvement of the castle’s various wines. That it has paid off is striking when you taste Château de Cayx’s latest vintages. In short, they are a benchmark for how far you can reach with the right mindset and goals – without compromising on the authentic and local character of the individual wines!
What grapes grow at Château de Cayx?
At the initiative of Prince Henrik, Château de Cayx eventually regained its impressive 21 hectares of vineyards, ideally facing south and down towards a meander on the Lot river. The upper part of the terroir lies predominantly on limestone terraces and the lower part on limestone terraces with gravel and fallen mass from the limestone plateau. 80% of the fields are planted with Malbec, and apart from 4 ha of Chardonnay, the remaining part is planted with Tannat and Merlot – and all the fields are cultivated as environmentally friendly and gently as possible. Since the vineyards have been gradually replanted since 1975, Château de Cayx’s vines have an average age of approx. 25 years.
