Château de Chambert Cahors Malbec 2018

Profile & Story

Château de Chambert sits on a limestone plateau of the southern Quercy above the Lot valley in Cahors, its history stretching back over a century: phylloxera and the First World War left the estate's vineyards abandoned from 1914 until 1973, when winemaker Marc Delgoulet bought the château and, the following year, replanted the hillside with Malbec, farming it organically by hand from the start; his first vintage, in 1978, won gold at national competitions, and the estate — later expanded to 65 hectares and farmed entirely biodynamically across more than 100 parcels — has remained a benchmark for Cahors ever since. This base Cahors bottling from the 2018 vintage is 100% Malbec from vines averaging about 40 years old, grown across three soil types — brown clay-limestone, iron-rich sidérolithic clay, and Kimmeridgian limestone — at a density of 4,500 vines per hectare and yields of around 30 hl/ha under organic and biodynamic farming. Vinified with consultant winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt, it ferments with indigenous yeast at a controlled 28–30°C in small concrete tanks, macerates for about fifteen days after fermentation, completes malolactic fermentation, and ages twelve to fifteen months in foudre and French oak.

Pairing Recommendation

The winery recommends serving it between 14° and 16°C alongside refined dishes.