If the South is France’s best-known region—apart from Paris—looming large in many of our French fantasies, the Southwest lies at the other end of the spectrum, relatively untravelled compared to its Côte d’Azur counterparts. And yet, it is a swath of the country teeming with natural beauty, from the Pyrenees to the Dordogne, and is also home to some incredible wines delivering unrivaled value.
     One of our perennial contenders for “Value of the Year,” Clos La Coutale’s Cahors combines four parts Malbec with one part Merlot—a blend that reminds you Bordeaux isn’t too far away. If you peek inside the wine fridges and cellars of most KLWM staff, you will no doubt find this cuvée because it does so many things at once. Succulent and soulful, it shows a brilliant balance of fruit, earth, and spice; depth and approachability; country rusticity and refinement. And you will be very happy drinking it now or in twenty years. A perfect wine for $18? 
     The only way I can think of this getting any better is if you open it alongside the seared duck breast with fall fruit and Banyuls sauce Georgeanne Brennan dreamed up for our September Adventures Wine Club. A celebration of quintessential Southwest ingredients, this pairing makes for an easy and delicious fall feast. Of course, it’s versatile enough to pour with so many other dishes, too, from cassoulet to pork chops and root vegetables—or just on its own!