Chambert: A great terroir

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The site: The Chambert estate covers 120 hectares (almost 300 acres) of vines, fields and woodland. This includes 60 hectares (148 acres) of vineyards within the Cahors appellation, most of which are planted to the Malbec variety. The estate lies on the Southern Quercy « causse » (plateau), about 100 kms north of Toulouse and 35 kms west of Cahors. It overlooks the Lot valley, at an altitude of 300 metres. Here thermal amplitudes between night and day are greater than down in the valley. This means that grapes ripen later and the wines have a fine and fresh structure with excellent aromatics. Very similar to the best Chablis, Chambert belongs to the best terroirs in France. This is an exceptional and very beautiful viticultural site that lies on a very calcereous (limestone) soil base. Being on a plateau, the vineyard receives full sun and light all day long, as well as both continental and oceanic winds, particularly the warm southern wind known locally as "Vent d'Autan", that blows especially around september. Soil type: Over a period of some 20 millions years, shells, skeletons and other remains of animal and vegetable sea life accumulated, sometimes to a depth of 600 metres. Then, for another ten million years, during the Kimmeridgean period that closed the Jurassic era, the soils of the hills were formed. At this period the region was barely covered by a muddy sea with light tides. These conditions were ideal for deposits to accumulate to considerable depths. Oysters, ammonites and other shells are frequently to be found today in the vineyards. Then the sea receded as the seabed rose up, and the deposits completed their transformation into compact limestone. Over the past 100 million years, due to alternate glacial and warm-weather periods and the action of winds and rain, the superficial layer of these deposits have been broken up to a depth of several metres, creating clay deposits. These limestone clay deposits form the sub-soil of most of the Quercy region, sometimes covered by more recent sedimentary deposits. Climate: Situated on the upper plateau of the southern Lot, equidistant from the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea, Chambert comes under both climatic influences, particularly through the role played by the southern wind called « vent d’Autan » which helps the grapes to ripen and dry in the months of september and october. Grape varieties: Malbec is the historical variety of the Cahors area. Its scientific name is cot noir, and it is locally known as « auxerrois ». Over 80% of the vineyard is planted to this Malbec variety which requires considerable attention, and which produces wines that combine fruit, power and freshness. The supple and aromatic merlot accounts for another 17% and the rest is made up with the Chardonnay grape. Pruning is carried out using the double guyot system, with a single fruit-brearing cane.

Work at the vineyard >>