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{ SOMMjournal.com } 39 into grands and premiers crus, as in Burgundy. In 1999, faced by declining sales, a Charter of Quality was created that projected a such a classification, received interest from the INAO, stagnated and was cancelled in 2002, causing a collapse in prices. The wines had had known a burst of fame in the 1970s, since France's President Pompidou was born in the region and, having been classi - fied VDQS in 1951, Cahors found itself elevated to AOC status in 1971 and bottles were seen in every restaurant in the city. By the 1980s they had been replaced by their great rival Madiran from the neighbouring Gers depart - ment, whose powerful wines from the Tannat grape made a strong impression. Then Malbec, the region's major grape variety (known locally as Auxerrois), was discovered as the star of Argentina's Mendoza vineyards, and Cahors slipped further and further out of sight. From the points of view of climate and soil, the region is remarkably diverse. The weather has strong Atlantic (Bordeaux), Continental (Burgundy) and Mediterranean influences. The alluvial soils on the banks for the Lot that produce lighter Malbecs give way as the vines rise over 500 feet to small pebbles, quartz, limestone (known as causse), Kimmeridgian chalk and even red iron, all five being found on the 160-acre Château de Chambert and elsewhere, with vineyards planted facing all points of the compass. Following their rejec - tion in 2002, the region is preparing another shot at a hierarchal cru system and help is now at hand in the persons of Claude and Lydia Bourguignon, France's acknowledged experts in soil analysis. Deemed the major influence for the revitalisation of the Burgundy vineyards from the industrial viticulture of the 1970s—Bourguignon was quoted then as saying that "there is more life in the Sahara Desert than in some vineyards in the Côte d'Or"—they have opened an office in the region and have even planted their own small vineyard on an abandoned limestone terrace. Such experience and influence, allied to the energy of forward looking producers, should not take long to produce the hoped for renaissance of Cahors. If proof were needed, I experienced it in late August, my wife and I stay - ing with friends north of Albi and happy to accept the invitation of Philippe Lejeune, owner since 2007 of the historic Château de Chambert which is the largest bio-dynamically farmed estate in the appellation, indeed in all Southwest France excluding Bordeaux. At my suggestion, two other estates were included in the tasting, Château de Cèdre and Château de Lagrezette, both of which I had known during the 1980s as a wine merchant in Paris. The tasting began with the wines of Lagrezette, presented by winemaker Cédric Blanc. Malbec grapes first produced wine here in 1503, when much of the Médoc was still an undrained swamp, but this 140-acre estate was in terminal decline when visited by Alain-Dominique Perrin, CEO of Cartier, in 1979. Purchasing it the following year, he undertook a decade long renovation of the château, cellars and vineyards and today is the recognised leader of the appellation, having from the start taken Michel Rolland as consultant. To my great surprise the tasting opened with a white wine, a 100% Viognier 2012 from Perrin's limestone soil Mas des Merveilles vineyards near Rocamadour, 30 miles north of the city of Cahors. Less rich and more restrained than this grape's Condrieu from the Northern Rhône, it was aromatic with beautifully structured acidity and has quickly become sought out by top chefs. The AOP Cahors is limited to red wines, but with chalk, limestone and gravel soils, Sauvignon and Semillon from Bordeaux, Chardonnay from Burgundy and Chenin Blanc from Touraine are all moving beyond the stage of experimentation. Clos Marguerite, a recently acquired 62-acre vineyard on gravel over limestone/clay just west of Lagrezette, was planted 100% to Malbec in 1997. The 2011 Clos Marguerite and 100% new oak 2011 Paragon were impressive and will become more so as the vines age, but the palm went to 2011 Château Lagrezette (Malbec 86%, Merlot 12%, Tannat 2%) a dense wine combining florality, finesse and grip with a decade or more in front of it . Next came Château du Cèdre, whose co-owner and winemaker Pascal Verhaeghe began his career in California with Saintsbury in Carneros. The 2011 Château de Cèdre (Malbec 90%, Merlot 5%, Tannat 5%) showed explosive fruit with an almost feminine freshness , while the 100% Malbec 2011 Le Cèdre had great purity of concentration, needing time to develop. His cuvée spéciale, just 10,000 bottles of 2011 GC, was strikingly individual, dense yet refreshing, one of the wines that currently puts Cahors back on the collectors' map. Finally, the wines of Philippe Lejeune proved that an ancient region in decline needs passionate newcomers. The Château de Chambert 2010 (85% Malbec, 15% Merlot) had beautiful fruit and a lifted acdity to match Malbec's natural richness, while his 100% Malbec Grand Vin from low yields off limestone, stony and red iron soils, had fine concentration of black fruits, ready now and even better in the future. Lejeune has chosen the admired Stéphane Derenoncourt as consultant and has given the distribution of his wines to Advini, owners of Rigal, the region's most respected négociant and itself owner of extensive Cahors vineyards. The fact that Advini, with 1,700 hectares of vines across some of France's most prestigious appellations and the country's third largest wine producer, should interest themselves in Rigal and particularly in Philippe Lejeune, shows great commitment that means one thing: Cahors is undergoing a long overdue rebirth and, with 45,000 acres classified for planting, the future will be fasci - nating to watch. In the cellar at Château de Chambert: Nick Maynard (Steven Spurrier's host in Cahors), author Steven Spurrier, Cédric Blanc of Lagrezette, Pascal Verhaeghe of Château du Cèdre and Philippe Lejeune of Château de Chambert. PHOTO LAUREN LEJEUNE