As one of the most popular wines in the UK, Malbec is a firm favourite on wine lists, especially as the nights draw in and people look for a warming, comforting glass of wine. And whilst Argentina accounts for the vast majority of Malbec wine production, it is Cahors in southwest France that was the birthplace of Malbec, known locally as Côt.

Enotria&Coe’s portfolio includes some exceptional Malbecs from Château de Haute-Serre in Cahors, known for their elegance and finesse thanks to their exceptional terroir and skilled winemaking by Bertrand Vigouroux.

The Vigouroux family are specialists in France when it comes to the production of Malbec wines; indeed, Bertrand himself is synonymous with Malbec excellence, having won the prestigious title of Best Malbec Winemaker in The Drinks Business 2024 Master Winemakers Top 100 awards.

A Legacy in Cahors: The Story of Famille Georges Vigouroux

Founded by Georges Vigouroux in the heart of Cahors, the history of Château de Haute-Serre is interwoven with the region’s own winemaking heritage. When Georges Vigouroux revived the then-neglected Haute-Serre estate in the 1970s (where the vineyard had existed since the Middle Ages until it was destroyed by phylloxera in 1875), he did so with an ambitious goal: to re-establish Cahors as a world-class Malbec region.

In 1971, Château de Haute-Serre was the first vineyard to be replanted on the Kimmeridgian plateau since phylloxera, and Georges’s efforts not only restored Haute-Serre, but also reignited an interest in Cahors Malbec, which has only grown in fervour since then.

Today, Georges’s son and fourth generation winemaker, Bertrand-Gabriel Vigouroux, looks after the winemaking and continues to honour his father’s legacy, while pushing Cahors Malbec into exciting new territory. In addition to being French Malbec experts, the Vigouroux family owns the Medieval Castle of Mercuès: a Relais & Châteaux in Cahors with a one-star Michelin Chef.

Located atop a limestone plateau with Kimmeridgian chalk, rare iron concretions and a vein of blue clay, the vineyards of Château de Haute-Serre are ideally suited to Malbec. The soils impart a unique mineral character, while the high altitude and continental climate allow the grapes to mature slowly, achieving a perfect balance of tannins, acidity and concentrated fruit. These elements converge in the Vigouroux wines, creating Malbecs that reflect the purity of their terroir with every sip.

Bertrand Vigouroux: award-winning Malbec winemaker

Earlier this year, Bertrand-Gabriel Vigouroux was named Best Malbec Winemaker 2024 in The Drinks Business 2024 Master Winemakers Top 100 awards, following Château de Haute-Serre Georges 2019 winning a Master medal at The Drinks Business Global Malbec Masters 2023 – the highest possible award in the competition. Among thousands of entries in the 2023 Global Masters competitions, just 4% won a Master medal, marking Château de Haute-Serre Georges 2019 as one of the very top wines available on the market today. According to the rigorous judging criteria, a Master medallist must be ‘an outstanding example of its type, showing impeccable winemaking.’

TRY CHÂTEAU DE HAUTE-SERRE

G671 | Georges by Château de Haute-Serre | £24.28 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price (75cl)

100% Malbec

AOP Malbec de Cahors

• Control of vinification temperatures
• Aged for 12 months in 400 litre barrels before blending
• 15% new oak, 35% in large wooden vats, and 50% in stainless steel to preserve its freshness and fruit notes
• 12 -18 months in bottle before release

“Fruit, fine tannins and good length on the palate make this one of the rare Cahors that can be drunk right from its early years as well as after lengthy ageing. The ‘terroir’ at Château de Haute-Serre transforms the Malbec grape into a very noble vintage. Very dark in colour with carmine highlights and a wonderfully complex and powerful bouquet of morello cherry, blackcurrant, and spices. The freshness and fruitiness on the nose carry over beautifully to the palate, which has a long, silky aftertaste.” Tom King, Fine Wine Manager

Food pairing: Perfect with roasted meat like T-bone, it also pairs very well with mighty French cheeses and dark chocolate.

Georges Vigouroux was a proud ‘Cadurcien’ and represented the 3rd generation of the Vigouroux family. As a very successful wine Merchant he purchased Château de Haute-Serre in 1971 and planted 40 hectares in one go all around the Château. These were the first vines to be planted on the Kimmeridgean plateau since they were lost to phylloxera in 1875. NB: the original meaning of the name “Georges” is “he who works the land.”

H649 | Lucter by Château de Haute-Serre | £16.21 per bottle ex VAT Duty Paid List Price (75cl)

100% Malbec

AOP Malbec de Cahors

• Low temperature fermentation in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks
• Soft extraction to preserve fruit
• No new oak but 12 months in large wooden vats and 3rd passage barrels
• 6-12 months in bottle before release

Lucterius was a leader of the Cadurci, a Celtic people whose territory was located around Cahors around 50BC. He served under Vercingetorix during the last stages of the Gallic Wars and remained at large after his surrender at Alesia. He continued the resistance against Julius Caesar who in his memoirs calls him “a man of unsurpassed boldness”! NB: Lucterius was the basis of the character Vitalstatistix from Asterix and Obelix.

Please contact your Account Manager for more information about these wines or to enquire about a sample.