Château de Chambert, `Grand Vin` Cahors Malbec
Vintage: 2017
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | CV102B17 | 6 x 75 | Agglomerated Cork | Available |
Producer
Château de Chambert lies 30 kilometres west of the town of Cahors. Philippe Lejeune has owned and operated it since 2007, along with his wife, Master of Wine Lin Liu and their consultant winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt. The estate achieved organic certification in 2012, followed by biodynamic certification at the end of 2015, making it the largest organic and biodynamic estate in Cahors. Philippe and Lin also keep highland cattle in a neighbouring field, allowing them to wander the vines after harvest until the end of winter, reducing weed growth and gently aerating the soil with their hooves.
Today Château de Chambert comprises 45 hectares of vineyards, of which 80% are Malbec, 17% are Merlot and 3% are Chardonnay, with an average vine of 50 years. Their vineyards are located high up on the limestone ‘causse’, or plateau, regarded as the best part of the Cahors appellation.
At an elevation of 300 metres, the cool nighttime temperatures in the vines offer a moderating influence, counterbalancing high temperatures during the day. The September winds that blow northwards from Africa also lower the disease risk. The estate's vineyards are planted on a blend of limestone (which provides freshness and balance to the wines) and red iron oxide (which imparts colour, richness and powerful intensity). Château de Chambert’s grapes are hand-harvested before being meticulously sorted, with each parcel vinified separately.
Philippe and Lin have reined in their use of oak in recent years and now use large 30-hectolitre oak foudres so as not to overpower the fragrant fruit and subtle limestone minerality of their Malbecs. Château de Chambert’s Cahors Malbec is aged for around one year in oak and has a lovely brooding black fruit character and silky tannins. The Cahors ‘Grand Vin’ is the product of the oldest vines on the estate and spends 18 months ageing in oak. Dense yet elegant, it has intense violet and blackberry fruit notes complemented by an extraordinary, muscular structure.
Vineyards
Château de Chambert’s vineyards are situated at the highest part of the South Quercy limestone plateau or 'causse', at an average altitude of 300 metres above sea level. The soils here include brown clay limestone, Kimmeridgian limestone and clay with a red iron oxide component. The latter is ideally suited to producing a refined style of wine that is fresh in its balance (similar soils can be found in the Chablis Grand Cru vineyards). Leaf-thinning and green harvesting ensure lower yields of well exposed fruit. The vines are on average 45 years old and all of the fruit is harvested by hand.
Vintage
The 2017 vintage saw an extreme drop in yield, with 50% of potential harvest being lost due to frost at the end of April, which affected almost the entire appellation of Cahors. This difficult start was saved by a relatively cool, disease-free summer. The grapes reached excellent maturity which, despite the low yields, made 2017 one of the finest vintages of Château de Chambert.
Vinification
The grapes were destemmed and sorted manually to ensure only the highest quality berries made it into the ferment. The different vineyard parcels were vinified separately in individual concrete tanks. Only indigenous yeasts were used for fermentation which occurred at controlled temperatures between 25-28°C. The wine underwent post-fermentation maceration for 15-30 days to round out the tannins. The wine was then aged for 18 months in large French oak foudres before the final blend was assembled and bottled.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
Deep ruby in colour. The nose is complex with well-defined aromas of dark fruits and spices, accompanied by a marked minerality. The palate is dense yet elegant with extraordinary structure and iron fist in velvet glove tannins. A stunning Malbec built to last.
Alcohol (ABV)
13%
Acidity
5.6 g/l
Residual Sugar
1 g/l
pH
3.48
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Château de Chambert | Cahors Malbec | CV101 | R | Factsheet |