The Repsol Honda HRC rider claims his nineteenth title in the indoor discipline There was an unforgettable night for the Repsol Honda HRC riders who took podium finishes in the X-Trial World Championship Toni Bou made history by winning his 37th title with second place Bou continued to add to his impressive record of achievements the Montesa Cota 4RT rider completed the six action zones with seven penalty points which mathematically secured him a place in the final and the title which gave him the last place in the final Bou was solid a tightly contested final section this season Bou has five wins in seven races to date It was also a good day for Gabriel Marcelli the Repsol Honda rider was very strong from the get-go and Marcelli kept the same feeling on the bike and would face the decisive sections starting second to last the Montesa Cota 4RT rider made some mistakes but still remained in contention for the Top 3 and managed to secure a podium finish in the French town he has five podiums this season and remains in third place in the overall standings The final round of the X-Trial World Championship for the Repsol Honda riders will be on April 26th in Tallinn Toni Bou moves closer to his 37th world title and Gabriel Marcelli aims for his first victory in the indoor discipline This weekend marks the penultimate round of the X-Trial World Championship season The event could be decisive in Toni Bou’s title pursuit as after a brilliant season he will look to strike the definitive blow remains in third place in the championship with 63 points will be looking to secure his 37th world title It would be his 19th in the indoor discipline a city where he won the TrialGP Championship last season requires him to take just a single point to secure the 2025 crown The Montesa Cota 4RT rider’s goal will be to maintain the level he has displayed throughout the year to date after overcoming the difficulties of the early stages of the season and his goal remains to achieve his first race victory The Repsol Honda rider’s consistent progress reflects his talent and determination making it clear that he is ready to take a step up The Cahors X-Trial will be held on Saturday from 6:30 p.m (local time) at the Parc des Expositions du Grand Cahors as I was able to win the TrialGP title there last season so the goal will be to continue the good results we've shown so far The weekend you can win the World Championship is always different; there's more nerves and pressure but we'll focus on putting in a good performance.” “I've found more of a rhythm with the new regulations in the last few races and I've adapted to be able to qualify directly for the final I'm excited about Cahors because we're coming off a very good third-place finish in Austria The goal is to improve my consistency in the final and fight for my first win I think I need to make fewer mistakes in the finals because they are very costly but we're working hard to achieve our goals.” “This weekend is very important for the team The goal will be to get the best possible result and for him to keep his nerves at bay is coming off some very good results in recent races so I hope he can take another step forward and fight for first place Cahors will be an important event where we'll try to give our all.” Maison Georges Vigouroux is releasing the first Malbec from Cahors onto La Place de Bordeaux since phylloxera decimated the grape variety in France nearly 200 years ago – making it the first global “icon” wine from the appellation Vigouroux will release its grand vin, Château de Haute-Serre Grand Malbec 2022 onto La Place this September as part of the hors Bordeaux campaign Five negociants have already been lined up: Barrière Frères The courtier will be Excellence Vin courtier which launched the Masseto on La Place in 2008 The move is being spearheaded by the company’s managing director Tim Banks Banks was previously sales & marketing director at Masseto the first Italian wine to be distributed through La Place de Bordeaux in 2009 and sales & marketing director at Ornellaia Banks said the project “all the right prerequisites” to succeed on La Place and become the first “iconic wine” from Cahors “We would like this Grand Malbec to bring attention to the wines of Cahors and show what is possible,” he said “We believe it’s the first great French Malbec capable of standing with the great fine wines of the world.” He argued that the family-run company “can show there is a future through quality and that the area is able to produce wines of great quality – provided they do the work.” The terroir of Cahors has always had great potential he noted and Vigouroux is keen to challenge the outdated and preconceived ideas of Cahors to prove that it can produce an iconic fine wine we haven’t had the wine of the right type to go to La Place And the fact that Bertrand-Gabriel Vigoroux was recognised as the world’s Best Malbec producer this year by an expert panel  [he won the drinks business best Malbec Winemaker of the Year 2024] means it has all come together at the same time,” Banks said He added that the launch was not born out of  “a marketing meeting” but something that Bertrand and his family company had been working on for 30 years “which is what winemaking is all about” “People buy wine not only because of the quality of the wine but also because of the story behind it – what is the intention of the wine grower Jeremy Quievre of Excellence Vins said it was a natural progression for a Cahors Malbec to take its place on La Place “No other network has either the reach of the depth of offer as the Place de Bordeaux Argentinian Malbec producers are already present is also represented by one of its most illustrious families,” he said Although the family has been growing Malbed since 1887 this project really started when fourth generation winemaker and owner of Georges Vigouroux Bertrand-Gabriel Vigouroux made a conscious decision in the late 80s to rebuild the quality of the Malbec in response to the then the low-quality Malbecs being produced in Cahors that had “no future” “The only way out is to replant in higher density,” Banks said, and see what it could do in the region’s unique terroir. Château de Haute-Serre Grand lies on the Kimmeridgian plateau 300m above Cahors and the soil with its iron concretions and a vein of blue clay is  similar to that of Romanée-Conti and capable of producing great wines on its native soil “A Malbec of excellence is the reflection of the virtuosity of his terroir and all the care and attention that we bring to the vines,” Vigouroux said “The wine of Chateau de Haute-Serre has its style and personality synonymous with elegance and great finesse.” He therefore went right back to basics in the vineyard preparing and boosting the soil with compost and vegetal matter finding the right rootstock and clones for each individual sites and restoring the rows to a North-South orientation in order to optimise the quantity of light that the leaf receives during the day Once the quality in the vineyard had been addressed the team invested in smaller tanks to make the wine process more precise (“for Georges Vigouroux we work with 400L barrels but for the grand vins it’s 225L”) The result was the launch of Château de Haute-Serre Malbec Icône WOW we are ready with the winemaking – we understood the process we knew how to manage the quality and also the mission we have about the Malbec,” Vigouroux said I want to show them another face of Malbec I like to say Malbec is a diva (variety) it could give you the best or the worst But when you put the plant in the right place and take care of many details of winegrowing and the many details of winemaking The result of this work is “ripe wine with elegant tannins “This kind of wine has the potential to be very desirable The team has also toned down the amount of new oak used to correct the “over-oaking trends of the past” and better show the purity of the fruit 20% -30% amphoras  and the rest in one year old oak. around 500 cases a year of the Grand Malbec is produced The estate at Haut Serre comprises 60 hectares and “at least half” could go into the production of the Grand Vin if the market was there to support it “That’s the long term dream of that is that this becomes what the estate is known for The terroir is there to support a much larger production,” Banks said Growing pains – the expansion of La Place de Bordeaux We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again ShareSaveCommentBETAThis is a BETA experience. opt-out hereLifestyleCahors, The Original Malbec From South-Western FranceByPer and Britt Karlsson Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights Britt & Per Karlsson write on wine and wine travel 11:59am EDTShareSaveCommentIn the vast French wine region a plethora of wine appellations are nestled Cahors stands out for its long history and long presence in the export market This is the historic origin of the now world-famous malbec grape Cahors is produced from approximately 8,000 acres in the picturesque region around the river Lot for many wine consumers around the world known as the grape of Argentina This is maybe not surprising as Argentina has 10 times as much Malbec plantings as Cahors But the grape’s true historic home is here Puy l'Eveque on the Lot River in Cahors one of the many beautiful villages in the French Sud-Ouest We have tasted some Cahors prestige wines from recent vintages dark fruit character of malbec but with a lot of elegance and drinkability Find out more about the malbec grape on our grape profile here It has a dense concentration but is also elegant It is young in character with fine tannins Easy to appreciate with food now or to keep The wine ferments in concrete tanks and then matures in ceramic eggs There is a lovely abundance of fruit and berries It is savoury on the palate and has good acidity with notes of herbs adding to the freshness The wine has been made entirely without the addition of sulphur The estate has recently been certified organic The grapes come from a particular plot called Le Grez and the wine is aged for ten months in egg-shaped tanks A nose of intense dark cherries coupled with liquorice This is an elegant wine with fine acidity and soft tannins L'Authentique comes from a 5-hectare vineyard with 60-year-old vines Ageing in 60 to 70% new oak barrels for 18 months floral scent mixed with ripe berries and a bit of liquorice with a juicy fruit and a great drinkability with soft tannins and a fairly dense structure Fresh herbs and Christmas spices such as cinnamon and cloves are present on the nose The wine is savoury and intense in the mouth Six months ageing in concrete tanks and eight months in egg tanks Claude and Lydia Bourguignon are world-renowned soil experts who have worked with the most prestigious wineries – DRC to name a few – and who recently converted an abandoned (for 140 years) hillside in Cahors teeming with biodiversity into a wine domain to practice what they have preached Besides unusual choice of terrain and starting from scratch, they also decided to opt for field blends as a naturally resilient alternative to today's focus on hybrids. It seems they have taken what they learned over the last 30 years, and combined this with traditional farming practices, and the wines have an amazing freshness (not, alas, a given in Cahors) but are quite different from year to year The Bourguignons started off their career at the INRAE the French National Institute for Agriculture which they left at the end of the 1980s to create their own soil consultancy firm LAMS (Laboratoire d'Analyse Microbiologique des Sols) Over the past three decades many famous wine domains have worked with LAMS to re-establish the soil life in their vineyards and thus improve the quality of their wine their life took a very different turn when the couple decided to put their money where their mouth was by starting their own vineyard and winery from scratch under the banner of Domaine Laroque-d'Antan in the Cahors wine region The couple considers it as an extension of the LAMS laboratory as it is there that they practice what the preach Why did you decide to plant a vineyard from scratch and make wine at a time that most of your peers were thinking about their retirement Lydia: It is a bit my fault that we embarked on this adventure I had been nagging Claude for a very long time to plant a vineyard because I felt that we needed something where we could showcase what we preached that the only sustainable future lays into restoring the soil life and farming organically and I felt that a real-life laboratory would “prove” our philosophy What were the selection criteria for your vineyard Is the name of the winery derived from the place and the way of farming Lydia: Since we are based in Burgundy but the prices were just too exorbitant and it is near impossible to find unfarmed land on a great terroir in Burgundy when we did some soil analyses there and discovered that the region really had great terroir the region was still affordable and there were still large plots of bush land with very little top soil on top of the pebbles Claude: And we wanted to show that we could plant a vineyard from scratch that the vines could thrive just because of the soil life because it was the heart of the historic medieval vineyards We scouted the hillsides for a haut lieu (a superior place) and we found a domain of 22 hectares of which we could convert 6 hectares into vineyard we had to convince 17 different landowners to sell to us mulch everything and prepare the land by covering it with a thick layer of mulch before we could plant the rootstock and graft it with the different clones massales which is based on the historic way of working a vineyard (d’antan in French) What were the specific criteria you looked for to determine where to plant your vineyards Lydia: We first looked at the geological composition, which for Cahors is the same as that of Sancerre and Chablis since Cahors is on the opposite side of the Massif Central to Burgundy so the roots would be forced to plunge into the limestone to feed the vine We also looked for a significant east-facing slope to have optimum sunlight and to easily evacuate excess rainfall which has become a little more complicated because of climate change we picked this location for its virgin state of the soil as the land had been fallow for the last 150 years – it had never been chemically treated – and the microbiological life of the soil was like that of a forest And that is what makes this terroir so unique Why did you decide to opt for a field blend and how did you decide upon which varieties to plant Lydia: It was a little more complicated for the white wine, as we did not really have an idea. But since our terroir is similar to that of Sancerre, we decided upon Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, blended with Mauzac Vert, Mauzac Jaune, Mauzac Roze,  and the very rare grape variety Verdanel which is characterized by low alcohol degrees and great freshness Since we have always preached against clones all the varieties are part of existing selection massale from different ancient vineyards in Western France How would you describe your two wines, Nephele and Nigrine Claude: Our wines are characterized by a great freshness even though they come from a very hot terroir This freshness is a combination of the grape variety mix and the minerality and salinity which comes from the terroir The wines are very much characterized by the limestone characteristics present in the soil the characteristics of the vintage are also very present which is interesting because it can completely change the wine depending on the year It also helps to keep freshness in this time of climate change Can ancient varieties planted as a field blend have similar or better disease resistance than the INRA varieties currently developed by most major appellations Lydia: Ancient varieties have often a broader disease resistance because they have been less manipulated and copied field blends were common practice in the past because our forefathers had realized that they offered a greater overall harvest security The biggest issue with the INRA [grapes] is that they are only resistant to specific diseases which often makes them more fragile to anything else it is hard for man to outsmart nature in the long run through DNA manipulation This is maybe why the INRA recommends to closely monitor the new varieties and to continue to treat with very low doses of sulfur and copper against downy mildew © Domaine Laroque-d'Antan | Biodiversity is important for the vineyard – even the bugs What is the role of the biodiversity for any vineyard and more specifically in the plots you chose to plant Claude: Biodiversity is important as it adds mycorrhizae to the soil The vine is a plant that thrives on mycorrhizae which are killed by phosphates and nitrates found in most fertilizers since we chose an old forest to plant our vineyard we started by mulching the trees we pulled up to create a forest bed What we wanted to do was show people we could make wine without herbicides People have come to see us to ask us how our vines can grow on such a rocky soil this is because when it has access to mycorrhiza Lydia: One should remember that the vine is a creeper this is also why we planted hedges around the vineyards – hedges that We have also opted to include animals in our vineyards chickens scratching the soil and we have also restored an old dovecote so we can welcome pigeons back into the vineyard Animals also add to a vineyard's biodiversity and they are part of the biodynamic philosophy For even if we are not biodynamic right now – our vineyards are organic – we believe these practices add to the well-being of the vine-ecosystem and the people working in them and it's important to accompany them in our conversions We have begun to dynamize our sulfur and copper preparations but I clearly remember the way Anne-Claude Leflaive Even if today she is considered by many as "the grande dame of biodynamics" she integrated the different biodynamic processes step by step to make sure her team was 100 percent with her What is your definition of terroir and what is its real importance for the wine the climate and the choices of the winemaker Claude: But the most important part is the quality of the rocks under the topsoil The roots will "eat" little parts of this in their search for water and the mineral elements are absorbed in this way These elements – often characterized by a lingering freshness and lightness – are the terroir signature of the wine Lydia: The diversity of the rocks in your subsoil is what makes the difference in wine because it’s the different mineral elements used by the enzymes that will create different aromas and thus add to the complexity of the wine Claude:When one wants to make quality wines it is therefore important to allow the vine roots to absorb the mineral soil elements which is not possible when one uses herbicides or chemical fertilizers What is the big issue regarding soul erosion Claude: Glyphosate and other herbicides seal the top soil which prevent oxygen and water to be absorbed and thus kill the mycorrhizae Soil erosion is in essence an absorption issue linked to the porosity level of your soil Lydia: Soil erosion is the deterioration of the soil and it happens at three different levels The first level is the loss of organic matter as this negatively impacts the porosity of the soil the air and water will not be able to be absorbed in the soil and you kill soil life and the organic matter that goes with it (mycorrhizae) this means that the soil cannot filter out the chemicals anymore and these will instead be absorbed by the ground water also calcium and iron are lost to the ground water and these elements are needed to attach the clay in the soil making it denser and increasing its erosion power this water will scratch the soil and break more of it loose It’s power increases as it goes down the hill and it unhinges ever larger parts of the soil and this is the third part of the erosion which is unfortunately very present in many sloped vineyards one has to increase the organic matter in the soil but the latter two will only hold the soil in place but not necessarily increase the organic matter in the soil The greatest contributors to soil erosion are chemical fertilizers and over tilling which in turn add to the loss of organic matter in the soil You have worked with some of the most recognized domains (DRC Is their greatness related to their choice of farming the people at Château Latour or at Champagne Roederer are all people who have actively pursued excellence When we opened our soil laboratory in 1990 the first effects of the chemical vineyard revolution became evident and these people saw that their wines had changed They began to ask questions and they were open to alternative answer even if they came from relatively unknown people already experimented with sorting tables and were miles ahead in the enology field And even with these innovations the wines were not of the level they had been before they began to realize that they would need to change things in the vineyard when we told them there was no life in their soils anymore they immediately realized the errors of their ways It's always the best who understand the quickest If you could give one piece of advice to the wine industry what would it be try and increase the organic matter in the soil by choosing composts that are rich in carbon – the vine needs carbon Is there a wine maker who has particularly inspired you Lydia: I have always admired Anne-Claude Leflaive and I talk to him often about our vineyards Claude: I also really like Jean-Louis Chave's approach; he is very meticulous and his wines are wonderful Our latest update from the Bordeaux En Primeur front line features dry and sweet whites and a curious red Graves vintage The latest sales figures are bad news for producers hoping high-end wines will get them through these tough economic times It's all about music as much as wine as we round up this week's news from the wine world We conclude our search for the world's most sought-after wines with our overall top 10 Joe Biden might not be in the White House any more but his influence is still being felt at one crucial committee The science keep piling up: wine is good for your health Bordeaux En Primeur's Uncertain Start The En Primeur campaign for the 2024 Bordeaux wines has taken its first Ever wished you could hypnotize your friends into drinking better wine As traditional wine markets tighten and contract perhaps it's time to look at a previously overlooked wine market the death of Pope Francis was more than just another world leader's passing This section of the website is exclusively reserved for members of the FIM Family: CONUs members and honorary members of the commissions You are a member of the FIM Family and do not have your access? Do not hesitate to contact us Sign in The FIM is also involved in non-sport activities - tourism or sport-related activities such as women in motorcycling sustainability is linked to both sporting and non-sporting areas as is the educational side we are developing to get the new generation on 2 wheels We inform you about all aspects of the motorcycling world Tallinn confirmed as the final event of the season and Cahors replaces Medellín Due to reasons beyond the control of the Championship promoter ESDEUX and the FIM the event originally scheduled for February 28th in Medellín the FIM X-Trial World Championship will continue to feature 8 events the French city with a long-standing trial tradition Cahors has hosted an urban trial that brings together the world's best riders the city has been the venue of a race of the FIM TrialGP World Championship eight months after its last World Championship commitment Cahors and its Parc des Expositions will host the seventh round of the X-Trial World Championship on March 22 has been confirmed as the venue for the final round of the 2025 FIM X-Trial World Championship The Unibet Arena will once again host a world championship event following its debut as a venue in the previous season This means that the Championship's conclusion including the crowning of the World Champion and the podium ceremony will take place on April 25th at the same venue that hosted the penultimate round last season UPDATED 2025 FIM X-TRIAL PROVISIONAL CALENDAR Toni Bou has once again rewritten the record books securing his 19th X-Trial World Championship and his staggering 37th world title overall The Repsol Honda Trial Team legend clinched the crown in Cahors maintaining his dominance over the sport since first claiming the world No Despite sealing the title with his progression to the Final the Spaniard fought for the win until the last section only to be edged out by Jaime Busto in a dramatic finish Busto claimed his second victory of the season after a tense showdown taking advantage of two costly failures by Bou in the final two sections and when Busto delivered a clean ride in Section Six the championship winner found himself settling for second place—just one mark behind Bou admitted to losing some focus in the final sections: “I might have only needed two points today to be World Champion I would have liked to win the title with a victory but perhaps I lost a bit of concentration and took unnecessary risks and satisfied with my job and the team’s hard work.” though he finished nine marks behind Busto His third-place finish ensures he remains on the championship podium “I think I rode well but not quite perfectly even though I felt good on the bike,” Marcelli said proving he can challenge Bou’s supremacy on any given night “I am very pleased with this second win of the season that I managed to claim in the last section despite a mistake in Section One of the Final and kept the possibility of victory open until the end.” With 37 world titles—19 indoor (X-Trial) and 18 outdoor (TrialGP)—he remains the undisputed greatest of all time His dominance extends beyond individual championships as he has also helped Spain claim 19 Trial des Nations titles His record speaks for itself: 120 X-Trial appearances further cementing his place as the most successful trials rider in history The X-Trial season continues on April 18th in Nice for the X-Trial of Nations before heading to Tallinn for the final round of the World Championship Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Some of the greatest terroirs in Cahors are not even planted with vines who argues that the region's reputation could be significantly enhanced in 50 years' time At least eight centuries of producing fine red wines for export; a globally recognised grape variety (Malbec) growing in the soils where it first came into being; average land prices of just €11,000 a hectare; and at present only around 4,300 ha of the appellation’s 21,700 ha planted The quality potential of Cahors for outside investment in French wine remains exciting knows that the greatest terroirs are largely unplanted at present: these are the slope sites between the Lot river terraces and the upland limestone causses or plateau land abandoned after phylloxera and never subsequently reclaimed “Unlike Pauillac or Pomerol,” says Cahors négociant hotelier and entrepreneur Bertrand Vigouroux Before you tow your private jet out of the hangar I should point out that there are also drawbacks: Cahors has poor transport links; reclaiming the slope sites would require huge investment; not all of the 21,700 ha are worth planting; there’s a tradition of fractious local politics here; and wines labeled ‘Cahors’ remain a hard sell There is much indifferent Cahors sold at lowly prices which degrade the region’s overall reputation while even great Cahors isn’t an easy wine to understand is great Barolo or Burgundy – but greatness will always find its market.) there’s no white-wine appellation to help the red along though AOP Cahors Blanc unquestionably ought to exist Yet this is a region which seems set to benefit from climate change bringing greater vintage regularity to the limestone uplands Marginal sites here still produce overly acid Malbec wines even if picked into October; that should change in the decades to come The Cahors wine picture will be very different in 50 years’ time it may once again be acclaimed as one of the great red wines of France This potential has been spotted in Mendoza though Argentina produces around 10 times as much Malbec as Cahors does The links were fostered when UIVC President Jean-Marie Sigaud and leading producer Bertrand Vigouroux led a small delegation over to Mendoza in December 2007 with considerable help from the French consul in Mendoza at the time and ever since then Vigouroux has produced an inexpensive wine called Antisto which annually showcases a ‘Malbec Mendoza’ version with a ‘Malbec Cahors’ sibling he also struck up a friendship with the consulting Californian winemaker Paul Hobbs who had spent a formative decade working with Catena and who together with partners Andrea Marchiori and Luis Barraud has his own Mendoza winery and domain called Viña Cobos Hobbs had never visited Cahors; he came; he fell in love with it The joint-venture label Crocus (made by ‘Paul Bertrand’ — the two partners’ first names) is the result: rich sumptuous wines brocaded with dark fruits and gently structured with soft tannins and supple acidity Other partnerships are now underway here as well The winemaker for Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf du Pape is a bright young Burgundy-trained Argentinian from San Rafael called Leo Borsi and he is working with local grower and entrepreneur Pascal Piéron of Ch Bovila and Ch Rouffiac to produce a range of terrace slope and plateau wines called Clos Ultralocal El Cahors Borsi already has a Mendoza label called Clos Ultralocal – and ‘Ultralocal’ isn’t the desperate marketing ploy it might appear to be but a phrase of Dali’s with such a complicated and hilarious history of its own that I can’t resist relating it in a footnote at the end of this blog [1] Borsi and Piéron’s wines are not bottled yet but the 2014 samples I have tasted reveal a very different seam of inspiration to the wines of Vigouroux and Hobbs while the fruits vary from fresh damson to crab apple the news was just breaking that Herve Joyaux Fabre of Fabre Montmayou was to invest in Cahors in an as-yet-unspecified project or projects There is no Mendoza winery for which I have had more long-term admiration than Fabre Montmayou Joyaux Fabre founded it for the best reasons – after a long search across several international borders and discovered that it came from Mendoza’s wonderful patrimony of old-vine Malbec and he has a sensitive Bordeaux palate (an unrivalled asset when it comes to red-wine creation) This was always evident in the Fabre Montmayou wines which have had a texture and an innate classiness and finesse from the first Whatever Joyaux Fabre produces in Cahors will make others sit up and take notice It may even make the Bordelais sit up and take notice; they won’t have forgotten him That in itself would be a positive development and begin to right a historical injustice [2] The fact that there is no present-day Bordeaux investment in Cahors is peculiar given the stylistic kinship between the two wines I have left what is perhaps the most exciting ‘tango’ project Tuscan Antonio Morescalchi (one of the partners in Altos Los Hormigas in Luján de Cuyo) was on a visit to France with Chilean terroir expert Pedro Parra when they visited Cahors and “our eyes went out of their orbits” at the potential they saw particularly in the limestone sectors of Cahors I travelled with Antonio and Pedro in January to meet the growers they are working with and will describe their story in full next week it’s worth remembering that this is not so much a new relationship as the rekindling of an old one The French historian Guyonne Blanchy has written a fascinating book detailing the wine history of Mendoza and the role of French pioneers in that [3] The planting of Mendoza took off during the worst depradations of the phylloxera years: an unrivalled opportunity for Argentina as it was in all of the non-European vineyards of the time Not only did the Mendoza authorities decide that Bordeaux would be their ‘reference viticultural model’ but they also called for ‘disinherited’ French winegrowers to leave their ruined vineyards and come to settle in Mendoza and begin again some 50 per cent of the Mendoza provincial budget came from wine only accounted for around 10 per cent of the bodega owners and landholders but they tended to fill most of the key technical posts in Mendoza’s early years Now the compliment is being returned: Mendoza itself is playing a role in the renaissance of a great French vineyard zone The Repsol Honda rider seals his eighteenth outdoor title Gabriel Marcelli takes third place in the French town The Repsol Honda Team had a winning conclusion to the penultimate round of the season as Toni Bou was crowned TrialGP champion once again He earned his ninth victory of the season to confirm the title Teammate Gabriel Marcelli earned third position in the race Bou took the lead on the first lap after collecting 7 penalty points the Repsol Honda Team rider was able to improve in places where he had made mistakes and finally the Montesa Cota 4RT rider won the TrialGP World Championship for the eighteenth time including 17 in X-Trial and 18 in the outdoor discipline He has 152 race victories and 208 podiums in TrialGP Marcelli also had a good performance in Cahors the Repsol Honda Team rider was fighting for the podium positions On the second lap he competed for second place alongside Jaime Busto and Adam Raga finally claiming third for his first rostrum at the French town Marcelli retains second place in the overall standings The runner-up position will be decided on the last weekend of the season The final round of the TrialGP World Championship season will be held from September 13-15th I would like to thank the team for the incredible work they have done this season there is always more pressure and the possibility of making a mistake but after that I was able to ride at my best and we got a great victory If we can win the title by winning the race It has been a very good season in which we have worked very well It is one of the best seasons of my professional career and I am very happy.” “This weekend it was important to stay on the podium to maintain second place in the standings We have had a good return to action and things have gone well despite the fact that we made some small mistakes We maintain a 7-point lead over Jaime in the fight for the runner-up position and we are in a good position “It was an incredible day and I want to congratulate Toni for the victory and the title He has once again shown how great his talent is and the effort he puts in race after race to achieve the best results he is still second in the standings and had a good ride It will be important to continue at this level in Ripoll to achieve the runner-up position all the sponsors and the team for supporting us on the way to the title and making it possible once again.” Toni Bou wins a new World TrialGP title in Cahors with one round to go before the end of the season Severe weather events in France have made it a challenging start to the 2024 growing season as the majority of the country’s wine regions hit with difficult conditions and Bergerac were hit with frosts that have caused significant issues throughout spring it was reported that as much as 80% of the region’s harvest could be lost due to frost who represents the first constituency of the Lot department said that frost threatens “the survival of vineyards in the Cahors appellation” A similar situation has also been reported in other areas where some producers have also stated they have lost as much as 60 to 70% of their harvest already following bitterly cold periods across April and early May — and despite the use of anti-frost candles to try and save grapes have caused grape-growers and wine producers to consider the viability of some vineyards against increasingly challenging conditions One regional prefect told a local assembly that four frost attacks in an eight year period were “starting to take its toll” on the profession which has also hit other wine-growing regions including the UK and Germany have been considerable in Beaujolais and Burgundy could happen again across the late spring and early summer months mildew had a devastating impact on growers with a helpline even set up to help those who had been “traumatised” by the situation Wet weather has also impacted other grape-growing regions across the country with reports that the start of the growing season has been particularly hard consistently over a number of days and weeks and spraying challenging due to the consistently inclement conditions This has also impacted the ability of farm machinery to operate in muddy and sodden vineyards with producers stating it was difficult to even get tractors into the vineyards But other producers have said that the rain has resulted in water reserves in the ground which going into the summer season could be beneficial for the crops depending on what happens in the next few months in terms of temperature The CIVC has reported that Champagne yields will be hit by the frosts although not as dramatically as in other regions estimating it will lose around 9% of primary buds across the whole appellation and which is well below the 2021 events and loses of 30% when frost hit the region and which covers approximately 5,800 hectares and comprises 20 village communes Moutonne and Preuses were thought to be among the worst-hit sites however the the villages of Fontenay-près-Chablis Villy and La Chapelle-Vaupelteigne have seen the biggest damage with some climats in Chablis Grand Cru and Chablis Premier Cru also affected It has been estimated that around 400 ha of vines were affected by losses of more than 80% hailstorm the size of “pétanque boule” or ping pong balls ravaged the vineyards in a matter of minutes on 1 May as a violet “supercell” storm affected the area The storm damaged shoots and stripped leaves from the vines particularly with the additional humidity in the soil It has taken a few weeks to see how the vines have recovered Sonoma-based vintner and wine consultant Paul Hobbs had success in Argentina in the 1990s with Malbec and decided to try his hand at the grape variety in its birthplace of Cahors in southwest France It was 2009 and Hobbs was surprised by what he saw there Whereas Cahors suffered from a reputation as too cold and too wet to produce good Malbec "The region is warmer and drier than Bordeaux," Hobbs says today in an insular culture in Cahors that boasted of mouth-blasting tannins didn't prioritize sanitation in the cellars and had fallen behind in technology and viticulture Now the winemaking is up to world standards." There is a new dynamism in Cahors, and it springs from a convergence of developments: recognition and appreciation of the Malbec grape in overseas markets a smaller market among the French as they consume less wine than their parents and a younger generation of winemakers and proprietors making their marks with modern methods These young winemakers are employing organic and/or biodynamic farming in the vineyards and experimenting with growing different varietals shapes and materials of vessels for fermenting and aging wines with many wines receiving more delicate macerations and oaking "We are making classic Malbecs with great aging potential as well as innovative wines with fresher fruit tastes and I think they are getting better and better," says Marteen Luyckx winemaker at Château Famaey in Puy L'eveque His father left Belgium to take over a property with 100 acres of valley floor land in 2001 "Today's producers have discovered their great terroir." The celebrated history of Cahors vineyards dates back to Ancient Rome. Centuries later, Bordeaux bought its Malbec as a blender for claret and its "black wine" gained a hallowed reputation in Europe making local winemakers and landowners wealthy in the late 1800s phylloxera devastated the vineyards It took until 1946 to get the right rootstocks to flourish and then tragedy struck again – a massive freeze in the 1950s almost wiped out everything Local stalwarts fought a slow battle to return the area to its former glory and a "new age" started taking hold around the turn of the century Though its history dates back to Roman times © Moulin | Not only has Cahors regained its interest in Malbec but other grape varieties are also being trialled "The diversity of terroir is a strength for the Cahors appellation," says Phillipe Lejeune owner and winemaker at Château Chambert in Floressas "We have not done such a good job of promoting this so far but we have a good future if we can show this complexity and diversity Some 10,000 acres of vineyards in the Cahors appellation lie along the wildly-meandering Lot river flowing east to west towards the Atlantic about 8000 planted with vines for AOC Cahors wine The remaining land lies within the Cotes du Lot designation – producing red The Cahors appellation was recognized in 1971 and only wines with at least 70 percent Malbec can display the Cahors AOC designation The two permitted blending grapes are Merlot and Tannat but vintners are increasingly producing 100 percent Malbecs Some 230 wine producers, most of them small landowners, make 20 million bottles annually and 31 percent are exported. Expanding the overseas market to 50 percent is a major goal, and indeed some producers such as Château St. Didier and Château Famaey have for some time exported up to 80 percent of their wines. The biggest markets for Cahors exports are Great Britain, Canada Exports to the US doubled in volume and value between 2012 and 2017 Some say the biggest obstacle is a lack of recognition in overseas markets but considering what Argentina has achieved for its Malbec the Cahors AOC has ramped up promotional efforts in recent years to take advantage of Malbec's higher profile "Cahors producers have been quite happy with the success and the notoriety of Malbec thanks to Argentina's work with the grape variety and its overseas marketing," says Armand De Gerard spokesman for the UIVC "We've been surfing the wave of Malbec's notoriety and are elaborating our own styles of wine according to our climate Many vintners are positive about the future of Cahors in overseas markets "I think we have a good synergy between the older and younger generations with many young people remaining in the family business and together we will make it happen," says Didier Pelvillain a fifth generation winemaker of Domaine du Théron in Prayssac Most wineries are open to the public for free tastings and tours (some with a fee) and venues range from majestic castles with renovated facilties for tourists to rustic Summer is the peak season but many châteaux welcome guests throughout the year with advance bookings the winemakers/owners themselves conduct tours and are eager to answer questions and describe what they do many Cahors winemakers say they have seen the effects of climate change in their vineyards Château Gaudou winemaker Fabrice Durou has witnessed harvest time change dramatically at his Vire sur Lot village property "My grandfather picked in October-November my father in September-October and I am now picking in August-September." Although current vintages are moderate in alcohol such as Pelvillain of Domaine du Théron expressed concern about alcohol levels rising due to warming trends The Cahors AOC is also seeking a formal classification system that will allow it to designate grand cru and premier cru wines, such as those in Burgundy and Bordeaux (where the designation dates back to 1855) The classifications – which Cahors winemakers are looking forward to within the next five years – indicate the highest quality of terroir and would confer additional status on its higher end wines in partnership with local vintner Bertrand Vigouroux and a lot has changed in the last five to six years." Long before Argentina was producing wine, Malbec grapes were being used to produce strong intensely fruited wines from their original home of Cahors in south-west France Repsol Honda HRC’s Toni Bou has made history once again securing his 19th consecutive FIM X-Trial World Championship title in a remarkable performance at Round 7 in Cahors Bou’s latest achievement marks yet another milestone in a career that has seen him dominate indoor trials further solidifying his status as one of the greatest trial riders of all time Bou extends his own record of consecutive championships an incredible feat that highlights both his skill and consistency in the highly competitive world of X-Trial Bou rode his Montesa COTA 4RT HRC factory bike to victory after overcoming a challenging start to the campaign The season didn’t get off to the ideal start as Bou finished second at Round 1 in Madrid Bou clinched his first victory of the season at Round 2 in Chambery and then followed it up with additional wins in Round 3 at Clermont-Ferrand and Round 4 at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona Bou extended his winning streak to four consecutive rounds with his teammate Gabriel Marcelli securing second place marking the team’s first 1-2 finish of the season Bou’s dominance continued at Round 6 in Wiener Neustadt This set the stage for the crucial final rounds and with the points gap already in his favour Bou only needed a solid finish at Round 7 in Cahors to seal his 19th consecutive title his performance was enough to clinch the championship with one round still remaining in the season Bou now boasts an extraordinary 37 consecutive world titles in total having also dominated the outdoor FIM Trial World Championship for 18 straight seasons This unparalleled achievement makes Bou a true icon of the sport with his name now synonymous with success in both indoor and outdoor trials the manufacturer behind Bou’s record-breaking career expressed immense pride in his ongoing success and I’m very proud to be able to experience this with him,” said Takahisa Fujinami the extra pressure for the title win was there and we’re very happy about our 37th title.” also praised Bou for his exceptional accomplishments: “I would like to express my sincere respect to Toni Bou for his 19 consecutive X-Trial championships He is one step closer to his goal of 40 consecutive X-Trial / TrialGP titles we can expect him to break even more records in the future I would like to express my gratitude to team manager Takahisa Fujinami and the entire team for their support of Bou’s feat as well as to the many sponsors who support our racing activities I would like to thank all the trial fans around the world who have always given us their enthusiastic support.” Bou shared his excitement: “I’m very happy The season didn’t start the way we wanted in Madrid we don’t make mistakes and we’ve made it to every final possible We’ve achieved many victories and I’ve ridden very well so I’m really happy with the season and the title as you never know if it’s going to be the last I’ve been very fortunate to win many more than I could have imagined This 19th consecutive X-Trial World Championship title marks another chapter in Bou’s illustrious career which includes 18 consecutive FIM Trial World Championship titles his combined record of 37 consecutive world titles is an unprecedented achievement that will likely stand for years to come ShareSaveLifestyleWorld Malbec Day: The Best Mendoza and Cahors WinesByPer and Britt Karlsson 01:50pm EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 10 years old.It was recently Malbec Day Every year this unusual grape variety is celebrated on April 17 But why drink it just on one day of the year but that has gained in popularity in recent years Partially due to clever marketing but mainly due to that the wines made from Malbec have become better and better You find Malbec grown mainly in two wine regions in the world: in Mendoza in Argentina and in Cahors in France On the Argentine wines you will always see the grape variety prominently displayed on the label There is a lot of pigment in the grape skins so the wines are generally dark blackberries and blueberries or even plums In some ways it has a lot in common with Cabernet Sauvignon But it is also very much dependent on the winemaker choices Personally I prefer the more food-friendly and less oaky wines View over the Cahors landscape in south-west France (copyright Per Karlsson “The other malbec” which is actually the original malbec is the French wines from the Cahors region sometimes called "the French Malbec" partially thanks to the growing fame of the Argentine Malbecs and partially thanks to that the Cahors region has started to do some well-needed marketing internationally much improved quality of the wines over the last few decades Malbec vineyards in the Cahors wine region in France (copyright Per Karlsson These wines rarely have “Malbec” written on the label Cahors is always made from Malbec so they don’t think it is necessary to point it out (and it is French tradition to focus on the geographical region and not on the grape variety) Why not buy an Argentine Malbec and a French Malbec and compare The Argentinians may have changed the way we think of malbec which show how France has reclaimed the grape Taste the Difference Château Les Bouysses Cahors Malbec, France 2015 (£12, Sainsbury’s) The Argentinians have made malbec one of the great success stories of wine in the 2010s – the variously lush chocolatey and perfumed reds they make from it now a fixture on every bottle-shop shelf and restaurant list If this latter-day success was once a source of irritation to vignerons in the variety’s original home in southwest France they have long since come to see it as an opportunity the region with the closest association with malbec today is Cahors an appellation in the gently picturesque Lot Valley around the eponymous medieval city côt (although this was never seen on the label) Sainsbury’s succulent ripe example fits seamlessly alongside its range of Argentinian malbecs the cheapest of the venture’s trio of polished wines such as Domaine de la Pepière Pepie Côt Rouge that have a kinship with the northern region’s cool cabernet francs floral notes and succulence such as Jean-Luc Baldès’ perfect partner for magret de canard Follow David on Twitter @Daveydaibach This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025. The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media. by whole bunch fermentation and the gentlest of extractions writes Field.The Rhône Valley has the incomplete and oddly unsatisfying bridge at Avignon; the Languedoc has the predominantly rebuilt and therefore hardly authentic walled city of Carcassonne is the real deal – the Pont Valentrédates from 1378 is one of the world’s finest medieval bridges and the gothic and romanesque splendor of the cathedral is a thing of beauty Over 100 new oak trees have been planted at Château Haute-Serre Gastronomy is one key to opening up the potential of Cahors Can one enforce a metaphorical equivalence and suggest that the famous eponymous ‘black wine’ also captures an essential sense of place with a rich historical perspective I know that one… it’s thick and rustic and unbelievably tannic for its first 30 years… not for me a name recognition which is in this instance somewhat unhelpful well known by name and thereafter often studiously avoided In essence because the wines are indeed cerebrally quite challenging and yes the Plantagenets were unphased by the rigorous style… Georges and now his son Bertrand have persuaded the market to re-evaluate the appellation and to acknowledge its extraordinary gastronomical potential to be the owner of the most beautiful turreted château located close to some of France’s finest truffles There is also a hotel and restaurant with Relais and Chateaux accreditation a pilgrimage to the black-diamond truffle Mecca of Lalbenque New cuvée from Château de Haute-Serre – Lucter named after a general who dared to defy Caesar The recommended food-pairing was far from subtle at the UK launch at 45 on Park Lane; the starter was truffle risotto and for the main course it was a choice of 6 oz filet mignon which included both the 1988 and the 1990 of the Grand Vin the Grand Vin imposing and powerful for sure but once again its tannins far from rustic was of a plush embrace rather than a tannic snarl; Bertrand has worked closely with the Argentinian Malbec winemakers in Mendoza and made it his mission to manage the tannins in Cahors without sacrificing the essence of the wine and its key points of difference To achieve this he believes in a cold maceration before fermentation the most gentle of micro-oxygenation thereafter the careful regulation of fermentation temperatures and a gentle extraction regime Thereafter the proportion of new oak is modest his favoured coopers being Francois Frères and Taransaud are most fundamentally managed in the vineyard where his organic inclinations are matched by increased densities (50% higher than his father) diligence in the selection of picking date The pH in his musts has actually risen (3.8 now compared to 3.5 fifty years ago) but he has few anxieties over global warming and the like and considers this level to be optimal for the overall integrity of his wines he adds both Merlot (7%) and Tannat (3%) to the Grand Vin (the minimum amount of Malbec in Cahors must be 70%) The second wine Géron Dardine (named after the 16thCentury owner) and the new wine Lucter (named after a Gallic chief who dared to defy Julius Caesar) are both 100% Malbec the silky soft texture of the latter achieved At the other end of the scale the two senior Grand Vins proved more than a match for the rib eye: colour hardly compromised by time now with the faintest hint of tobacco and gunpowder hints of truffle (needless to say) and thereafter a structural grandiloquence to defy both the passage of time and the siren calls of the legion of sceptics who only remember what Cahors was once supposed to be These wines are careless of such a reputation and are most definitely ripe (the word is chosen deliberately) for serious reappraisal The wines of Château de Haute-Serre are imported into the UK by Enotria&Coe The Buyer TVClick below to watch The Buyer's library of online debates, videos and webinars. even utopian idea: a peace-loving network of ‘world cities’ Is it time to give mondialism another chance a dashing American actor and wartime hero surrendered his passport at the US embassy in Paris He would go on to live the rest of his 92 years without any ID besides a passport he had printed himself declaring him to be a “citizen of the world” It had no other function than a symbolic one His name was Garry Davis The depredations of two world wars – one that he witnessed close up – had convinced Davis that nation states were obsolete at best could save people from their nationalist impulses The passports are still being printed in Washington DC by Davis’s old friend and lawyer Some 200,000 people are currently listed as “citizens of the world” on the association’s register in Paris But almost forgotten is another project in the postwar effort to eliminate warfare for good – a project that initially seemed even more promising The seeds of this idea were sown when Robert Sarrazac, an officer in the French army, saw a photograph of Davis on the front page of the France Soir newspaper The picture was taken as Davis was busy interrupting the third UN general assembly – then held in Paris’s Chaillot Palace Garry Davis (centre) with some of his supporters as they distribute pamphlets in Paris Photograph: Bettmann ArchiveSarrazac (whose real name was Robert Soulage) was a Catholic who had joined the French Resistance in 1942 and become a propagandist for the French ministry of prisoners at the end of the war was fired up by a big global idea; but rather than world citizens he wanted to create a network of world cities freed from the shackles of their countries Sarrazac and Davis believed the 400-year-old concept of the nation state was obsolete an institution whose only function was to drag people into unwanted wars “To insure the survival of humanity,” they wrote their ambition was to create a “mondialist” (globalist) zone where the first elections for a new people’s assembly would be held a rural department in sunny south-western France that is now better known for its grottoes castles and gastronomy than for a unique experiment in globalist utopia and 1950 saw the outbreak of conflict in Korea It was only natural to see a third world war on the horizon the supporters of a unified world were growing more numerous by the day led by prestigious ambassadors such as Albert Einstein “There was a competition for who was best defending peace,” says Stéphane Dufoix a French sociologist and expert on the mondialist movement It was hard for the mondialists to make room for themselves in the middle.” To make themselves heard they coined new terms: “mondialisation” and “mondiality” aimed to reflect the growing feeling that societies and economies were It was a chance encounter on a train between Toulouse and Paris in February 1949 that pointed Sarrazac towards Cahors and the two men discovered they shared acquaintances in resistance circles Baynac returned to Cahors with Sarrazac’s ideas fresh in his head a humanist who became the local leader of the movement and is still alive today at 99 Sarrazac and Davis embarked on a tour of south-western France Over 11 days they held 12 open-air meetings they wrote the Charter of Mondialisation at café Le Bordeaux opposite the town hall Cahors Photograph: Barrere Jean-Marc/Getty Images/Hemis.fr RM“Our security and our wellbeing is linked to the security and the wellbeing of all the cities in the world currently under the threat of being destroyed by total war,” reads the first article of the charter To organise a general assembly of the world’s people and to directly elect our representatives.” It went on to call for the establishment of Cahors as a global city with a provision that a percentage of the Lot department’s military budget would be allotted to prepare global elections It was hard for the mondialists to make roomStéphane DufoixThe expression “general assembly” (etats généraux) is no coincidence Sarrazac was searching for his very own Vizille – the small town near Grenoble whose etats généraux in 1788 sparked what would become the French revolution a movement needed a headquarters and Cahors – the home of illustrious men such as Pope John XXII and statesman Léon Gambetta – was the perfect bedrock this experimentation was only the beginning of something formidable that would change the world,” says Michel Auvray a Cahors-based historian currently writing a book on the movement But the Charter needed to be adopted to have any effect Sarrazac gave instructions to the new mondialist “troops” in the south to win hearts “farm by farm” the vote at the general council – the institution in charge of the Lot department – would matter the most,” says Auvray The mood in the city was festive: the town hall fluttered with the flags of other countries and the windows along Boulevard Gambetta were covered with the rainbow colours of the mondialist pennant the general council voted in favour as well and the city officially changed its name from Cahors to Cahors-Mundi while encouraging the other communes of the department to follow its lead One of the remaining milestones of the ‘road without borders no 1’ Photograph: Isabelle Mayault/The GuardianFrom mondialisation to globalisationToday famous for its wine – Malbecs known as “black wine” because of their extreme opaqueness – and a 14th-century fortified bridge It is hard to image this medieval French town beloved by Japanese tour operators as a hotbed of utopian fervour But several factors explain why the global cities idea took off so swiftly here the region had a history of rebelliousness “There’s a tradition of wariness towards central power in the Lot,” Auvray says it was one of the regions in France with the highest number of draft dodgers.” the movement was backed by local officials mondialists didn’t criticise the war in Indochina or the French government’s alignment with Washington Several members of the surrealist movement signed the charter and in late June of 1950 the “road without borders no 1” was inaugurated in Cahors in the presence of Lord Boyd Orr (the first director-general of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1949) and the renowned French writer André Breton The occasion sparked one of the first fireworks displays in Cahors since VE Day more than 300 communes in the Lot had signed the charter When the Algerian war broke out in 1954, no dissident voices emerged from the Lot. Faced with its first real test, the global cities movement stopped moving. It was an idea that “emerged fast and strong and went down just as quickly”, says Cahors mayor Jean-Marc Vayssouze-Faure. In the years since, “globalisation” has become the defining buzzword of international politics – though it has taken on quite a different meaning from the one intended by Sarrazac and Davis. In 2000, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Cahors events, the two estranged collaborators reunited in the city for a celebration, during which Sauvé declared: “These terms that we crafted convey the exact opposite of what we were trying to do at the time.” Today, most people in Cahors remember the signing of the charter as “the time the American came to town”, if they remember it at all. The few remaining milestones on what was once the “road without borders” barely get a passing look. “This idea is a true gem, it’s like sleeping gold,” says Pierre Petric, the Serbian founder of the association Cahors-Mundi. “I am shocked that people in Cahors are not more interested in those events.” Petric says he would like to see the mondialist movement classified as “intangible heritage” of the city of Cahors. “Often, we’re reminded of this story through foreigners,” says Bernard Delpech, a history teacher in the town who calls himself the only mondialist on the municipal council. “It tells us the tale of a globalisation, which started through cultural ties.” The symbol of the global city remains an effective one As the idea of globalisation falters and tensions between nations ratchet up once more is the world ready to revisit the older idea of global cities “The quotes of the Cahors movement could be printed verbatim in the newspapers today and they would be audible and significant,” says the sociologist Dufoix “That simply wouldn’t have been the case 25 years ago.” He points to a note written in 1949 by the director of the Lot’s teacher academy to its pupils You may ask yourselves what a mondialised department means … First of all recognise that they also belong to a larger community: the world community and that they have in common with other men and peoples in the world certain needs and preoccupations such as eating living and working in peace … Why wouldn’t men sit together and work together to solve these issues?” Follow Guardian Cities on Twitter and Facebook to join the discussion, and explore our archive here While Argentinian Malbec may be stealing the limelight the best producers in its homeland of Cahors are welcoming in an era of finesse and elegance Stephen Brook highlights the stars to watch.. is continuously struck by the fact that Cahors is a geological jewel ‘It has magnificent terroirs and a great grape variety in Malbec,’ he tells me But that was not the conventional wisdom in the 1990s when I first visited the region where my host at a distinguished château drawled: ‘It’s going to be tough for us here now you’ve experienced the great wines of Cahors and with just a few exceptions the wines remain excellent value which is more than can be said for a lot of Bordeaux who directs the Union Interprofessionelle du Vin de Cahors and has been energetically promoting Cahors since 2006 says: ‘There have always been some excellent producers here but today there are 40 estates one can consider leaders and another 40 that are strong challengers.’ Clearly this growing self-confidence is related to Cahors’ good fortune in sharing a grape variety with fashionable Argentina Argentinian Malbec should be enjoyed young for its exuberant fruit complex soils and varying altitudes deliver wines of considerable power and structure Pascal Verhaeghe of Château du Cèdre notes: ‘Power is easy here but they are taking their foot off the extraction pedal and allowing the rich fruitiness of Cahors to emerge the wines are more accessible than they used to be There are the terraces flanking the River Lot although differences in soil structure are certainly evident while descending from the plateau are the slopes These sites were the fist to be abandoned after phylloxera Their relative inaccessibility makes this a costly exercise It consists of clay and sandstone with a high iron content La Bérangeraie and Clos Troteligotte are the most eloquent exponents But the region is too large for any single expression to dominate When Jérémy Arnaud arrived in 2006 to direct the growers’ association he found that the wines generally fell into three categories By turning this into an unofficial marketing tool he has successfully highlighted the variety of styles found in Cahors Intenses et Complexes tend to be pure Malbec Tradition is declining as growers use more Malbec and are able to charge higher prices as each estate is keen to show off its best vines and most sophisticated winemaking skills There are Tradition wines that I rate highly and some top cuvées that seem overwrought and overpriced Argentinian Malbec dazzled the world long before Cahors awoke from its slumbers The irresistible Mendoza fruitiness had an instant appeal Cahors growers realised they could not replicate this but could offer a different interpretation of Malbec based on the region’s often exceptional soils but most Argentinian Malbec is crafted to be drunk young for its vibrancy while Cahors is capable of greater structure and longevity the South American producers and their consultants realise that much can be learned from the diversity of Cahors’ often exceptional terroirs The Mendoza estate of Altos Las Hormigas is working closely with three Cahors properties while Las Hormigas takes care of marketing and renowned Italian oenologists Attilio Paglia and Alberto Antonini are also involved this is likely to prove a win-win situation There was an informal atmosphere inside the Cahors Malbec masterclass with Andy Howard MW keen to open up the discussion by getting guests to share their thoughts Howard started with some history and facts about the area; in the Middle Ages Cahors was one of the biggest and most important cities in France and there was six times as much wine production in the region compared to today Cahors only got appellation status in 1971 Malbec itself has around 30 different names in the Cahors area we’re going to call it Malbec – because I can pronounce that,’ quipped Howard Cahors wines must have a minimum of 70% Malbec, often blended with Merlot ‘Malbec on its own can have a good impact when you first taste it but then sometimes there’s a hole in the middle… it can be good to have another grape to flesh it out,’ Howard said The wines on show demonstrated the range that can be found in Cahors; large and small scale wineries, some more understated than others. Howard also pointed out that the conditions for the vintages are often similar to Bordeaux ‘These are primarily wines that go well with food,’ observed Howard ‘Food of the area is quite heavy… this kind of wine goes well with meat with an understated style; a fresh violet character on the nose This contrasted significantly to the second wine from Château Lagrezette – owned by the owner of Cartier – which was ‘quite a different animal’ Howard observed that it was more New World in style He also noted that ‘I think with all these wines Several guests said they found the fifth wine very drinkable and ‘not a blockbuster wine’ Andy Howard MW leading the Cahors Discovery Theatre was a lot going on in this wine’ and that it would benefit from longer in the cellar ‘The style you get in Cahors is not the same as the style in Mendoza,’ said Howard – prompting a member of the audience to ask whether French winemakers are trying to emulate the Argentinians ‘I think there’s an element of that,’ said Howard ‘I personally think there has been a move in Cahors to emulate the weight and concentration that Argentina has… for me they should aim more for the finesse and elegant style.’ in the southern French region of Occitanie represents another successful WiFi4EU story With the help of the €15,000 WiFi4EU voucher the municipality implemented free internet access and improved its e-services Grand Cahors' digital strategy revolves around the principle of facilitating life for citizens The awarded WiFi4EU voucher was the perfect complement to the municipality’s digital plan It made it possible to introduce new e-services for local residents while also encouraging visitors and welcoming incoming tourists public Wi-Fi in Grand Cahors was only available in the tourist office and its immediate surroundings The deployment of the first WiFi4EU access point in June 2018 marked the start of a reliable and fast internet connection for all A total of 15 hotspots were installed as part of the WiFi4EU initiative allowing Wi-Fi connectivity to reach most of the city centre and to be available at all times Since the completion of the WiFi4EU network in January 2021 the network has recorded nearly 20,000 connections Home to the famous Pont Valentré and Mont Saint-Cyr Cahors enjoys quite a frequent flow of foreigners who account for nearly 20% of the WiFi4EU network users They take advantage of the free Wi-Fi connection to read about historical spots and learn about local activities Cahors is also one of the major stop on the way to the famous Santiago de Compostela trail making free and fast internet even more useful for the large number of pilgrims passing by every day Not only The WiFi4EU initiative in Grand Cahors had an impact on tourists’ experiences of the place Primary and secondary school students who study in the city centre also greatly benefit from the WiFi4EU network As noted by the Mayor  Jean-Marc Vayssouze-Faure “we often see a peak in number of uses from 7 to 8 a.m Recognizing the significance of the digital transformation the Grand Cahors Mayor encouraged the neighbouring municipalities to apply to the WiFi4EU initiative He pointed out that strengthening connectivity in rural areas can both greatly improve citizens’ lives and tourist attractiveness Don’t Miss a Single Sparkling Moment! Sign up for The Court Jeweller Newsletter The Court Jeweller Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World 08.22.2022 by // Leave a Comment Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is currently enjoying her annual summer holiday in France she wore summery jewels as she inaugurated a new exhibition of her original artwork at a local museum Queen Margrethe is currently staying at the Château de Cayx the French estate that she purchased with her late husband The chateau is located in the district of Cahors Queen Margrethe made an appearance there to inaugurate an exhibition of her art at the Musée de Cahors Henri-Martin She toured the exhibition of her work as part of the official inauguration More than sixty of the Queen’s artistic works are on display in the museum which is part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations Artistic expression is an important part of Queen Margrethe’s life and over the years she has produced artwork ranging from paintings and theatrical costumes to literary illustrations Under the pseudonym “Ingahild Grathmer,” she even illustrated a Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings in the 1970s (Tolkein was reportedly quite impressed by her work.) The paintings included in the exhibition are in a variety of styles from impressionist-inspired landscapes to modern takes on traditional still life painting Queen Margrethe wore a summery pink gown made of cool broderie anglaise fabric paired with white accessories and summery jewels She also wore a very unique brooch from her collection: her bejeweled rooster brooch The piece is made of gold and set with diamonds She’s had the brooch since the 1960s It was a gift presented to her when she inaugurated a new ferry boat sailing from Copenhagen to Oslo It’s an especially appropriate choice for an outing in France as the Gallic rooster is an important French national symbol Margrethe finished off her jewelry look with several familiar pieces, including the gold bangle bracelet worn by descendants of Margaret of Connaught and her stunning toi et moi engagement ring Categories // denmark Enter your name and email address below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter Sign up for my new subscriber-supported community, Hidden Gems, delivered directly to you each Saturday! Copyright © 2025 THE COURT JEWELLER LLC The Industry's Leading Publication for Wineries and Growers Today is the 9th edition of World Malbec Day established by Wines of Argentina to promote Malbec around the world. Argentina accounts for at least 75 percent of the world’s Malbec with more than 80,000 acres planted.  Most U.S. wine consumers associate Malbec with Argentina because it's so popular here. \r\n\r\nMalbec has a long, slightly convoluted, history but basically it's from Cahors where there's roughly 15,000 acres planted The building pictured below is considered ground zero for Malbec That’s because it’s where François Roaldès lived in the 16th Century when he wrote a book entitled "Discourse on the Vine" - proving Malbec was present in Cahors at the time Newsflash: Now a project has been proposed that involves renovating the Roaldès House which is still owned by Roaldès’ decendents - a luxury destination serving as a starting point for a historic route with Malbec as the theme The renovation project is in the planning stages and is expected to be completed in three years If you think Malbec means “Bad in Mouth” you fell for Fake News There’s an old wives' tale that says the word “Malbec” originates from French words roughly translating to “mal bouche,”  or “bad in mouth” because of the poor opinion old French winemakers had about the grape.\r\n\r\n“That’s fake news,” insists Jeremy Arnaud a "terroir consultant" working with Union Interprofessionalle de vin de Cahors Arnaud says “Malbec” came from a person’s surname which was originally called “Cot,” got its name because Mr a successful wine merchant in the Bordeaux area spelled with a “k” apparently stuck though the “k” dropped off at some point the land prices and labor prices are driving wine prices ever higher Wines in Bordeaux and Burgundy are mostly off the charts are relatively small but more than doubled in the last ten years Today there are about 40 to 50 brands of Cahors Malbec sold in the U.S. Prices typically range between $18 and $20 You can even still start a wine business near Cahors if you aren't a billionare We all know how expensive and built up regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy are Cahors is in a region where there’s still land that can be planted to vineyards that's relatively inexpensive – closer to the land prices in Monterey than Burgundy a regular person can still get into the winemaking business in this tight-knit region It’s a cliché to say these wines go with food, it could even be a cop out. But in this case, it’s true. Ocassionally these wines when tasted by themselves seem overly astringent and tannic. Pair them with froi grois or a rich stew, though, and watch out. Then it’s a different story. That was one of the takeaways in today's tasting report Pair Cahors Malbec with fatty foods like cassoulet or duck!  Malbec is made all over the world and even seems to do quite well in Washington State "Some of the Argentinian Malbec may be quite easy to drink and I understand it suits more consumers we are able to make wines with a lot of natural acidity and we cannot deny it is coming from our soil There are a lot of places in the world you can make Malbec but you can only make Cahors Malbec in Cahors." \r\nPro Tip for Regional Wine Press Trips – Visits Based on a Blind Tasting\r\n\r\nIn the picture below Armand de Gerard with the Union Interprofessionelle du vin de Cahors pours wines blind for a group of journalists the journalists tasted more than 40 Cahors Malbecs in the morning: then impromptu afternon winery visits were quickly arranged Not all of the journalists went for the more well-known suspects. The journalists broke into three separate groups to visit the specific producers that made the wines the journalists liked best when tasting blind Life&Culture France’s Cahors wine is new frontier for Argentina France (AFP) – France’s southwestern Cahors region is a new frontier for foreign investors from Argentine winegrowers doing the “Malbec tango” to potential investor “ambassadors” from China 　Cahors is the new go-to destination for foreign investors as wine-growing land is becoming scarce -- and therefore exorbitantly expensive -- in other French regions Cahors -- whose dominant grape is the deep purple Malbec -- is attractive as a wine “that we can’t make in our country,” he said 　Also beating a path to the region are Chinese investors as the taste for French wines continues to grow exponentially in China 　“The Chinese are coming to see us soon to sign a partnership,” says Sebastien Sigaud of the Cahors domain Metairie Grande du Theron 　The famous limestone plateau around Cahors is known for its high calcium content which brings the freshness and minerality that define the region’s wine 　“We don’t have that calcium back home” in Argentina trudging through a path between rows of vines and stooping to crumble some of the distinctive white rock between his fingers I can see 2,000 crates at $100 each,” he said pointing to the top of a steep slope where a stretch of woodland has just been cleared 　Altos Las Hormigas cofounder Antonio Morescalchi after discovering Cahors' “extraordinary potential” in 2013 has created a joint venture with three local companies the Cahors vintners will produce the wine with advice from Altos Las Hormigas 　“It’s a win-win partnership,” says Jeremy Arnaud head of marketing for a Cahors winegrowers federation with the region standing to gain in international status while piggy-backing on the vast sales network developed by Argentine Malbec 　“The Argentinians have the potential to show our wine to a lot of people,” said one of the partners Germain Croisille of the Chateau les Croisille we used to make a retail wine that sold for 1-1.30 euros ($1.15- 1.50) per liter Now we’ll be able to sell bottles for at least $16.” 　The advent of the Argentines is in a sense a homecoming for Cahors whose vintners introduced the Malbec grape to the New World in the 19th century after escaping the devastating phylloxera plague that devastated their vines dubbed the “Malbec tango,” today sees Argentine oenologist Leo Borsi producing wine in France while Cahors counterpart Pascal Piero owns an estate in Argentina which has the most extensive Malbec acreage in the world Borsi has selected his plots to make a Cahors he says is “a little more exportable,” with 3,000 bottles destined for export to Buenos Aires 　Costing an average 11,000 euros per hectare land in the Cahors region “is three times less than in Argentina and three to four times less than a Cotes du Rhone village,” Arnaud says 　Borsi and Parra are not alone in targeting the area taking on an estate in the nearby Lot region 　The surge in enthusiasm for the Cahors region is a cause of concern for some (wine) DNA on a plate,” warns Alain-Dominique Perrin owner of the prestigious Chateau Lagrezette domain “I do not quite see how that is to our advantage.” 　“The Chinese are not predators,” insists Bertrand-Gabriel Vigouroux Cahors’ foremost wine merchant and the owner of Chateau Haute-Serre 　“A Chinese investor can become an ambassador for Cahors wines.” a vintner who is also president of the Lot chamber of commerce The plan to unify the candidacies of conservative People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo faces a rocky road From booking beds to building AI: Yanolja Cloud CEO reimagines travel Amazon Prime sign deal to increase K-content access Korea mark 60 years of ties with sculpture Netflix's 'The Devil’s Plan' returns with star-packed season 2 Seoul to host inaugural 'MyK Festa' in June 'Smile at me': Cancer-fighting senior influencer inspires with strength Yoo Seung-ho returns to stage as Brutus in reimagining of 'Julius Caesar' [Photo News] Korea gears up to celebrate Buddha's birthday Respect wanes: Teaching no longer highly coveted job in S Lee Jae-myung leads in hypothetical three-way race with Han Duck-soo Costco’s steep membership hike tests loyalty of Korean shoppers South Koreans get creative with Parents’ Day gifts Quaffable reds with the lots of interest and lowish abvs that could soon be your best ‘everyday’ wine but I have a feeling I’d agree with Bill that this is exactly my – and many Observer readers’ – idea of an everyday wine not too heavy on the alcohol – a quality that means you can drink more than a glass on a weeknight without feeling any ill-effects on the morning after (sadly not the case with so many 14%+ modern reds) All qualities that are present and correct in another everyday French red I’ve enjoyed recently: Tesco’s ebullient blueberry-juicy 12.5% abv malbec from Cahors The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Agricola Cortese Nostru Frappato, Terre Siciliane, Sicily, Italy 2022 (from £13, ndjohn.co.uk; reservewines.co.uk; hoults.com) Of course “everyday” doesn’t have to imply “every day” – not least because wine has got so much more expensive over the past couple of years and the prices of “everyday” wines have crept up to a point where the term might better be replaced with “everyweek” Whatever your preferred or affordable frequency is a fertile source for the kind of quaffable unpretentious but well-made and flavour-filled reds that are designed to fit into normal life rather than a special occasion with every region offering an approachable style to have by the glass with lunch as an alternative to their more serious vini da meditazione one grape variety that is particularly adept at making lipsmacking lighter reds is frappato with Agricola Cortese’s (13% abv) version beautifully capturing frappato’s characteristically perfectly ripe strawberry fruit in a wine to herald the beginning of spring De Martino Ungrafted Itata Old Vine Cinsault, Itata, Chile 2020 (£15.99, virginwines.com) There is a school of thought in wine circles that says that no (unfortified) wine should reach or exceed 15% ABV since it will always be undrinkably ungainly and overbearing with food I don’t agree: I’ve had plenty of wonderful red wines from warmer climates or warmer vintages at 15% and more where the alcohol doesn’t show just as I’ve tried plenty of lower abv wines which have been marred by a spirity-throat-burning sensation and whether the wine has sufficient other qualities to mask or absorb the alcohol when it comes down to choosing between a couple of wines to drink at home as opposed to merely sampling (and spitting out) at a professional wine tasting Follow David Williams on X @Daveydaibach This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media Now let’s expand the color palette to include the black wine of Cahors Relax: There’s no squid ink or cuttlefish in play “Black wine” is actually red wine — a very dark malbec Cahors (pronounced “kah-OR”) is a small town on France’s Lot River but it also lends its name to the red-wine region in southwestern France that is the ancestral home of the malbec grape winemakers refer to malbec as auxerrois (confusingly auxerrois is also a white wine grape grown in France’s Alsace region dry wine known as — you guessed it — Cahors it is the primary player — the grape variety that winemakers put all of their chips on The wine was beloved in Europe as far back as the Middle Ages and it remained so for hundreds of years before suffering some major setbacks due to pests and weather disasters some of which occured as recently as the 1950s a slow and steady rise to its original glory has been afoot via an influx of talent and investment money Both the wine’s color and personality — broad-backed usually in need of some aging or at least some time to catch its breath in a decanter — earned it the “black wine” nickname centuries ago and those highly tannic wines are still being turned out But contemporary Cahors producers also make malbecs that are more accessible sooner getting along with some modern Cahors bottlings is close to effortless Are these friendlier bottles a response to the popularity of Argentine malbecs — those fruity lush and juicy crowd-pleasers made from the grape that crossed the ocean in the mid-19th century it’s clear that Cahors is going through an overhaul of its image The place now refers to itself as the “Capitale du Malbec,” and more bottles use the word malbec in place of less-recognizable auxerrois or cot Trying to make contact with the larger world The law calls for Cahors to be composed of at least 70 percent malbec with merlot and tannat allowed as blending partners These are big red wines that can stand up to rich and hearty fare such as foie gras but more modern styles can lean to the lighter side with supple red fruit qualities and floral notes Below are tasting notes for a handful of Cahors that are ready to drink now 2014 Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum Made of 100 percent malbec this pleasant and affordable wine offered aromas of strawberry all leading to a palate full of ripe cranberry 2011 Domaine du Theron Prestige Here is another 100 percent varietal spice and incense arriving in layers — a drinkable wine that would do well paired with a juicy cut of beef 2011 Georges Vigouroux Chateau de Haute-Serre At 15 percent alcohol cherry and minerality that led to a whiff of eucalyptus and licorice followed by a lush wave of soft red fruit and a slow bright acidity and an herbal quality in this wine which is composed of 90 percent malbec and equal parts of merlot and tannat and made from vines that are more than 30 years old vanilla and smoke characterize this complex which aged for 24 months in new French oak barrels and was so densely colored I could not see even a dark outline of my finger through it This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Repsol Honda Team’s aim in Cahors will be to get back the good sensations from earlier in the season the trickiest round of the calendar behind them Toni Bou and Takahisa Fujinami will be looking to take up where they left off before the summer in the TrialGP World Championship the Repsol Honda Team riders head straight into a new event this weekend for the French TrialGP Toni Bou and Takahisa Fujinami will share the same objective of getting back onto the path which earlier this season had proved more satisfactory in terms of both results and riding.  Toni Bou still holds the lead in the TrialGP World Championship after five events eight points ahead of main rival Adam Raga Bou will be looking to widen the gap at the head of the overall standings as he bids for a fast-track fifteenth title will also want to make up lost ground in the Pyrenean trial and hopes to be in contention for a podium place The trial in Cahors is the second TrialGP event to be held in France this year Like the earlier trial held at the Charade Circuit this French TrialGP will be a single-day competition and is set to take place on Sunday The event marks a world championship debut for the city on the Lot river although for some years now local inhabitants have become familiar with the sport thanks to the Trial Urbain Cahors competition which regularly brings together the top riders in the discipline the event moves away from the town centre to an alternative route on the outskirts of Cahors due to health concerns and to avoid large gatherings of fans feature two twelve-section laps beginning at 10:00 and finishing at around 16:00 the architect Antonio Virga has designed a cinema complex that is harmoniously inserted in the logic and scale of the large military settlements of the 1800s avoiding even the slightest hint of pastiche Client: Mairie de Cahors Société Cadurcienne d’Exploitation CinématographiqueArchitectural design: Antonio Virga ArchitecteLandscape architect: GruePhoto Credits: Luc Boegly methodically created and visually displayed Each of them has a precise role in relation to public space On the intricate masonry texture of the monolithic structure The new cinema designed by the architect Antonio Virga in the town of Cahors has seven screening rooms and a capacity of over 1000 viewers Le Grand Palais stands a few steps away from the bank of the River Lot on a former military site that was demolished after a fire in 1943 and was then converted to create a welcoming pedestrian area combined with a large green zone known as “the oasis.” Above the multiplex cinema visitors can see the Museum of the Resistance previously housed in a building on the square Though the project replicates the symmetry and morphology of the former military barracks Virga has filled the architecture with a powerful contemporary aesthetic The building facing towards the square reprises the preferred construction material of the zone – clay bricks – with the goal of conserving the collective memory of the town of Cahors The monolithic volume has majestic façades though on the upper levels it is surrounded by a mashrabiya composed of small openings that lighten the fronts and intrigue visitors from a distance The intricate alternation of full and empty zones definitely has a functional purpose The perforated skin enlivens the internal spaces during the day thanks to the penetration of light and the play of shadows while at night the façade is transformed into a screen of tiny sparkling lights A complementary volume is placed up against the solid one: a presence entirely clad in gilded and perforated aluminium sheet inside which to organize the various movie theaters The largest diffusion magazine in the luxury & design world Privacy Policy(function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script") tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load" false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload" loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window Limestone 'is the best party in the wine world' who joins Andrew Jefford and others on a road trip through southern France to Cahors See also recommended wines to look out for ahead of release.. I was first in touch (by email) with Antonio Morescalchi of Altos Las Hormigos in Mendoza regarding Cahors he and Chilean soil consultant Pedro Parra had organised a trip to Burgundy and the Rhône for fellow South American wine producers so after a Saturday spent with Jean Gardiès in Roussillon they thought they’d go and take a look at Cahors They weren’t expecting to get any grower appointments (France being shut on Sundays) but thought it might be fun to poke about anyway They were reckoning without Cahors’ dynamic marketing director Jeremy made sure that local producers were waiting for the South Americans together with a mass of opened wines arranged by style and price How did Morescalchi and Parra repay this kindness “At the end of the afternoon,” Morescalchi told me “while chatting with a producer in his charming small cave possibly rendered less diplomatic by a few glasses of Malbec you are not making terroir wines here.’” “Limestone,” added Parra and Cahors is thrashing its ticket.” What they had tasted “Most of the wines,” in Morescalchi’s words fruity and powerful that the sought-after texture we love so much was completely disguised So the limestone character was showing very little if at all.” They decided to do something about it The pair returned with Altos Las Hormigos’ consulting winemaker Attilio Pagli and organized a vast tasting to try to find the terroir potential they were looking for (I have done at least three monster tastings of Cahors with much the same aims this is a challenging exercise.) They picked out 12 domains where they felt they could taste ‘the limestone character’ The Alto Los Hormigos winemaker Leonardo Erazo Lynch comes across to Cahors for a month-and-a-half every harvest They have insisted on hand-harvesting (rare in modern Cahors) The brand name they’ve chosen is ‘Causse de …’ plus a different name for each domain there is a less expensive ‘Terrasses’ version as well as a prestige ‘Plateau’ version Let me stop the story at this point to say that I was initially puzzled when I read Antonio Morescalchi’s remarks and don’t find it lacking in terroir character; moreover the Lot’s upper river terraces (which is where the most powerful wines come from) strike me as having as great an expressive potential as the limestone uplands (We don’t know about the slopes between the two as they are still largely unreplanted as described in last week’s blog.) Although oak is certainly overdone in Cahors on occasion I am not opposed to ‘big’ wines in principle and have enjoyed those of Cahors very much in the past Now I’ve tasted the joint-venture wines which the Hormigas team have created I can see what they were looking for (see below) with the way in which they have been able to target to find and to nourish a particular aesthetic incarnation of Cahors (which Parra himself is convinced derives from the limestone) I still believe that Cahors is more than the particular style they have brought into prominence but I suspect that these wines will be influential particularly once the 2015 vintage has been bottled Antonio Morescalchi (left) and Jean-Marie Sigaud in Cahors comes from Métairie Grande du Théron in Prayssac run by the indefatigable former grower’s leader Jean-Marie Sigaud and his sons Sebastien and Pierre where the South Americans had an ‘at last’ moment after tasting their first wine from concrete tanks (“we’ve found the Musigny of Cahors” south-facing slope cleared and planted by Jean-Marie Parra describes its soil as a limestone alterite (the soil is visually similar to that of many mid-slope vineyards on the Côte d’Or) comes from Château les Croisille in Luzech run by young Germain Croisille and his father Bernard This is the highest and coolest of the three sites is from Domaine du Prince in St Vincent Rive d’Olt run by brothers Didier and Bruno Jouve: the airiest site with the best-drained soils of the three (limestone with sand and silt) All three families have welcomed the partnership “They forced us to do what we never dared to do ourselves,” says Sébastien Sigaud but they’ve given us confidence.” Bruno Jouve puts it differently: “They gave us a kick up the backside – but it’s been very good for us.” “After 15 minutes with Leo,” remembers Germain Croisille “I’d learned things that it would have taken me five years to teach myself I’ve completely changed our own range since My ideal now is to make a Burgundy-like Malbec.” Pedro Parra (left) and Antonio Morescalchi taste at Domaine du Prince in Cahors here is a brief tasting overview of the Causse du Théon and Causse du Vidot wines (the Causse des Ons blends weren’t finished when we were together in Cahors) The limestone-derived ‘minerality’ which is Parra’s focus is apparent via a subtle textural granularity and a sense of density length and seriousness of flavour behind the vivacious fruits and their bright acidities see Antonio Morescalchi’s remarks in the box below bay leaf and woodland aromas rather than fruits with redcurrant pungency and root spices; almost austere to finish Causse du Théron 2014 Plateau (tank sample) Also slight aromatic reduction here with a concentrated athletic palate with more of a glow to the fruits and some firm shaping tannins Causse du Théron 2015 Terrasse (tank sample) A pristine aromatic profile: pretty violets and red cherries brisk and bright palate characterized by almost-sour red fruits and delicate tannin sweetening and filling a little towards the end Causse du Théron 2015 Plateau (tank sample) A perfumed cascade on the palate of red cherry with wild elder and sloe; sumptuous sloe and damson fruit with an almost raw but agreeably saline edge Causse du Vidot 2014 Plateau (tank sample) you might almost guess this wine was oaked structured and brightly acidic fruit – almost a kind of Madiran style: the clay at work Causse du Vidot 2015 Terrasses (tank sample) A magnificent scent at this stage: billowing elderberry fruits Causse du Vidot 2015 Plateau (tank sample) though with a little less focus and push than for the Terrasses at this stage Impressive purity and finesse on the palate: a snowstorm of petals and leaves have a tension which becomes an aftertaste when you spit or swallow Tannin without minerality leaves a simple sensation which can be dry or harsh but which is more or less uniform whereas mineral tannins touch the tastebuds like a million minuscule flexible nail tips creating a feeling of slight tension in the mouth together with the impression of the ghost of some fizzy coarse ground candy melting in the mouth but I think it’s caused by saliva proteins reacting with the tannins which are derived from broken-down mother rock a well-adapted variety and well-judged ripening give you ‘3-D’ tannins of this sort They are much more interesting in the mouth than others.” the project will be on display through the month of June Volumetric Principle. Image Courtesy of Atelier YokYok + Ulysse LacosteSet within the context of stone masonry originally erected in the 11th century, blue strings stretch across the courtyard to connect the arches together. Rounded arches are blended with pointed ones, to create a sense of transition from whichever way one walks through the installation. and has become an innovative and creative event of international attention You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email with a capacity of over one thousand visitors makes up part of a master redevelopment plan for the ‘place bessières,’ now dedicated to pedestrians located among the historic center of the french town of cahors near the banks of the lot river the cinema stands on a site once occupied by army barracks and seeks to recreate and reinterpret the symmetry of these former structures.  image by luc boegly | @lucboegly antonio virga architecte designs its cinema in cahors as a monolithic volume wrapped in awe-inspiring façades the building is surrounded by a perforated ‘mashrabiya’ screen lightening the façade and intriguing from a afar the intricate alternation of solids and voids serves a functional purpose the perforated skin enlivens the interior spaces during the day thanks to the penetrating light and the interplay of light and shadow whereas at night the façade creates a screen of tiny shimmering lights the cahors cinema is realized by antonio virga architecte with a powerful contemporary aesthetic the team seeks to carry the project beyond the simple objective of recreating the morphology of the former barracks the building is divided into two distinct volumes — one built of brick and the other of perforated and gilded metal each playing a very precise role in relation to the public space the brick volume mirrors the two buildings of the former barracks and is imagined as a contemporary and identifiable reinterpretation of these existing structures it is the most striking and visible element on the square owing to the direct reference to the town’s history architecture: antonio virga architecte photography: luc boegly, pierre lasvenes AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style and that is a matter of not-inconsequential pride repelling Nazi searches with a sign that warned is the bronze statue of 19th-century French statesman Léon Gambetta One can envision it in the 1940s when he held a Resistance-made sign in his north-pointing hand directing the occupying troops: ?Nach Berlin, Here in the heart of the Midi-Pyrénées Lot Valley de la Deportation et de la Liberation du Lot aims to remind the world: Never forget ?To be a Resistant was to refuse the victory of Nazism, explains one of several informative booklets for sale at the museum in the town of 23,193 people ?It was to choose to act clandestinely in order to hasten the German defeat not easy to take: to revolt against the government of your own country to risk your life and the security of your family. The Resistants were postal clerks and railway workers ordinary people who undertook acts of heroism aiding clandestine travelers to reach their destination hiding Jews in the back rooms and closets of their homes people went 50 years without speaking of the Holocaust Michot says through his young British translator who guides tours for English-speaking museum visitors noting that there was also a desire to forget the nation?s pain and shame where each of the three floors is dedicated to Resistance members killed by the Nazis A former barracks that faces onto the Place General de Gaulle that military leader Charles de Gaulle said: ?Every means in the universe will be used to crush our enemies That which will be the flame of the resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished. His broadcasts via BBC from London spurred the Resistance movement ?Come to my house; there?s something that may interest you. He was speaking of the Resistance unit led by his father Even to confide such information to the then-16-year-old Marcel Michot was risky and later married the daughter of his unit?s leader delivering the French maxim with a smile and a classically French shrug war veterans from across the Lot Valley helped to fill it donating yellow Stars of David imprinted with the word ?Juif, Jew; photographs; newspaper clippings; long-hidden weapons; typed recollections; children?s drawings; cabinets filled with wartime propaganda; a pair of striped concentration camp ?pajamas?; food tins used by the deportees; and hand-written accounts of warfare 09h30 Orders to place an ambush on the RN 20 (north of Cahors) at 14h00 exhibits chilling in their ability to summon up those years Men and women in their 80s and 90s want to help the world remember what they cannot forget the museum has welcomed some 178,000 visitors ?All of the local schools come to be educated about the Resistance, who calls herself ?just a C of E [Church of England] kind of girl My grandfather was at [the Battle of] Dunkirk I saw an advert for the museum and volunteered. she has learned stories both heartbreaking and heart-lifting Once the Vichy government?s collaboration with its German occupiers became known a large number of Jews fled south from Paris The population in Cahors ballooned to 50,000 Situated on the important Paris-to-Toulouse train line the city became a veritable garrison for the Germans But here and in the surrounding countryside where the Lot River winds like a ribbon of rickrack many Jews found villagers willing to risk their lives to hide them and save them A favorite story of Butler?s concerns Adeline Cubaynes attended a street-naming ceremony in the village of Pradines and there she met Madame Cubaynes?s granddaughters during which one speaker reminded those assembled of ?our duty to memory against intolerance, Contact Mary Jane Fine at [email protected] I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward American Jews need independent news they can trust At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S rising antisemitism and polarized discourse This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs Copyright © 2025 The Forward Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site. You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. Just one of many impressive Malbecs from winemaker Bertrand-Gabriel Vigouroux Power and elegance are characteristics that Bertrand-Gabriel Vigouroux says he is striving for in his red wines The two are not always the most compatible bedfellows, especially in Cahors, given its reputation for inky blockbusters, but Vigouroux consistently carries it off with his Malbecs from Château de Mercues and Chateau de Haute-Serre And the good news is that British on-trade and consumers alike should find the wines easier to source as Vigouroux is hoping to increase his exports to the UK from 2-3% per annum of his production to 5-10% authorised his son in 1990 to make the estate’s wines for the first time “1988 was my first vintage,” he told The Buyer “After a good ’89 and an experimental tank my father told me to go ahead and make the ’90 It was quite dangerous for him to give me all the cellar but I won an award for my Mercues Malbec at the Concours General de Paris We did not know until we opened the paper one Sunday morning and saw the wine had got a gold medal.” Your correspondent was lucky enough to drink some of the 1990 over dinner at the Château de Mercues on a visit to Cahors in mid-October and could easily have been mistaken for a top Right Bank claret of that year with its tannins seamlessly melded and its fruit still vibrant “Elegance is of primordial importance to me,” Vigorous said “More and more producers in the Cahors appellation are aiming for this style but the dark colour and high tannins are still quintessentially Cahors The Argentinians have helped raise the profile of Malbec I think Malbec is a varietal people like.” I want people to say ‘Wow’ when this is opened.” It was hard not to do so – the wine’s power and elegance had been complemented by soft and superbly integrated tannins as well as tremendous concentration.” Low-yielding vines yield provide 35 hl/ha Vigouroux and his family choose not to live in the Château de Mercues now a five-star hotel located just outside Cahors with magnificent views over the River Lot Vines there enjoy not just higher altitude but an excellent south-facing aspect on argilo-calcaire soils The Château de Haute-Serre 2010 is an outstanding example of how good Malbec from this part of France can be Gorgeous fruit (black mainly but some red) fabulous intensity of flavour and exceptional length were in evidence Vigouroux’s Geron Dadine label (named after the 14th century owner of Haute-Serre) is another top-class single varietal Malbec (the vines being on Kimmeridgian clay) The depth of violet fruit was extremely marked the tannins were silky (“what I strive for,” added Vigouroux) “My main worry here is over-extracting: I want elegance,” he stressed Despite the imposing colour and high abv (15%) For Vigouroux is crafting some beautifully balanced wines not just of power and elegance but real distinction By dallasnews Administrator $18.99Cahors is a town in southwestern France It is considered to be the birthplace of a grape variety called cot which you might know by the name of malbec this wine is very different from an Argentine malbec intensely flavored and tightly structured wine with concentrated blackberry preserves cassis and black plum fruit mingling with a trace of fresh thyme morsels of dark chocolate and dusty mineral notes It finishes with solid tannins that insist upon a grilled steak or leg of lamb Clos La Coutale has nearly 150 acres of vines consisting of about 80 percent cot and 20 percent merlot which represents the blend of grapes in this wine Philippe Bernède presides over the family operation that was established in 1895 His wines are imported to the United States by Kermit Lynch who has been hand-selecting French and Italian wines since 1972 you can count on getting a wine that speaks of its place of origin It’s available at Central Markets and Whole Foods Market Eat Drink D-FWThe latest food and drink reviews GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy All the action from the 188.3km stage in southwest France Tour de France 2022 complete guide How to watch the 2022 Tour de France – live TV and streaming Tour de France 2022 stage 19 preview - Sprinters take aim at Cahors Analysis: Hautacam the decider as Vingegaard seals the Tour de France -Stage 19 was a largely flat 188.3km ride north from Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors -The race was briefly neutralised following a protest -A four-man breakaway opened a gap of 1:00 but then fell apart.  -Simmons pressed alone but the sprint teams chased him and another late break that included Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) -The three were caught in the final kilometres and Christophe Laporte emerged from the attacks and chaos to win alone with a strong late surge -Laporte was the first French rider to win a stage It was the fifth win for Jumbo-Visma in this year's Tour de France.  -Jonas Vingegaard leads Tadej Pogacar by 3:26 Bonjour and welcome to the Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 19 of the 2022 Tour de France Following an unforgettable day in the Pyrenees yesterday it's the final 'proper' road stage of the Tour de France.  If you were hoping for a quiet day after all the excitement of the past couple of weeks you're likely to be disappointed - this stage represents the final opportunity for many riders and teams to go for a prestigious stage win Following an emphatic win atop Hautacam in the yellow jersey race leader Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) protects a lead of 3:26 over Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) with Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) back in third Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) leads the points classification and will take home the green jersey in Paris provided he remains in the race until then The mountains classification is a little more complicated - following yesterday's heartbreak for Simon Geschke (Cofidis) the German rider will still wear the [polka dots in lieu of Jonas Vingegaard Tadej Pogačar continues in the white jersey So to today's stage - 188.3km from Castelnau-Magnoac to Cahors The race heads slightly downhill to start with and the breakaway formation phase is likely to be a fierce battle between the teams without sprinters who want to contest the stage win The sprinters' teams will try to control as they look for a bunch sprint finish so the GC teams will also need to be careful The riders are on their way to kilometre zero on stage 19 of the Tour de France.  Dylan Groenewegen (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) will be one of the riders hoping that today's stage ends in a bunch sprint Christian Prudhomme waves his flag and hostilities commence on this final road stage proper of the 2022 Tour de France Ineos Grenadiers are already very visible at the front of the bunch controlling the pace Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) are both at the front of the peloton too Everything is holding steady for now but there's a sense of high tension among the bunch Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) is one of the first riders to try and make his escape He's joined by Taco Van der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) and Mikkel Honore (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) and Nils Politt join the group - the five have a small gap over the peloton One rider does not start this morning - Enric Mas (Movistar) has a positive covid-19 test and has withdrawn from the race The front group of five are already working well together and have opened up a 13 second gap over the peloton.  Stalemate in the peloton as it looks as though the sprint teams are happy with the composition of the breakaway.  Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) may have hoped to be a part of today's action but reportedly struggled with stomach issues overnight.  the composition of the break looks to be confirmed Taco Van der Hoorn (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) Mikkel Honoré (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) The first notable milestone of the day is an intermediate sprint in the town of Auch - Wout Van Aert can add more points to his total as he looks to break Peter Sagan's record points total in the green jersey The breakaway group of five has pedigree - both Mohoric and Politt are previous stage winners at the Tour de France - both winning a stage last year - and Van der Hoorn has won a stage of the Giro d'Italia.  Quinn Simmons has been very active in the race so far Team DSM and Lotto Soudal are pacing in the peloton with Jumbo-Visma also riding at the front protecting the yellow jersey The bunch are reluctant to allow the breakaway too much freedom - the gap continues to grow but at a very slow rate.  Jonas Vingegaard takes to the start line in Castelnau-Magnoac earlier today The break are still only 1.21 ahead of the chasing peloton who seem determined to keep them on a tight leash today There are two category 4 climbs late on in the stage which could prove decisive if a breakaway wants to try to avoid a bunch sprint 10km to go to the intermediate sprint in Auch birthplace to late Team Sky/Ineos DS Nicolas Portal TotalEnergies have joined the chase at the front of the peloton Five teams are now sharing the pacing work The peloton is halted by another protest blocking the road.  The commissaires bring the breakaway to a halt as the peloton waits to get back underway The protest has been cleared from the road and the peloton is back underway with the moto pacing to ensure the time gap to the break remains as it was prior to the stoppage The breakaway group remains neutralised as the peloton makes up the lost time The race is stopped once again as the organisers wait to restart proceedings The breakaway are given the go-ahead and they ride away and will have their gap from prior to the stoppage maintained the chasing teams maintaining their stranglehold on the break The intermediate sprint in Auch beckons - the five breakaway riders collect the top five placements with Quinn Simmons taking the maximum 20 points for first over the line Jasper Philipsen is the first rider from the peloton across the line at the intermediate sprint There's no allowances being made by the peloton today As a reminder of those who are looking to take something from this stage - five teams are represented in the breakaway (Bahrain-Victorious Five teams lead the chase in the peloton on behalf of their sprinters: Lotto Soudal Team BikeExchange-Jayco and TotalEnergies) The five-man breakaway have a gap of 1:15 - it's coming down rather than stretching out The five-man breakaway working together on stage 19 of the Tour de France The gap has fallen below a minute - this breakaway appear to be on a hiding to nothing as the sprinters' teams turn the screw This stage has so far not produced the same level of drama as the previous few given the inevitable fatigue that the peloton must be experiencing However with plenty of racing still to unfold with two short climbs late on leading into the finish in Cahors the gap has come down to 30 seconds and on a long the peloton have the breakaway in their sights already It looks as if the break will be reabsorbed shortly - will we see a new battle ensue The doomed breakaway group have seen their lead diminished to just 12 seconds - their time is almost up.  the five riders put in an injection of pace to try and pull the gap out again with Politt the only rider from the original break not bothering to push on after almost being totally reabsorbed into the peloton four of the five members of the original breakaway have now opened up a gap once again - it's back up to 22 seconds We have another breakaway attempt - a rider from B&B Hotels makes a break for it The rider trying to bridge is Cyril Barthe (B&B Hotels) teams pick up musettes from soigneurs and Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-EasyPost) deals with a mechanical issue The breakaway group are back up to 32 seconds away from the break with Cyril Barthe fighting to bridge across - he has just 7 seconds on the bunch The breakaway's positioning suggests the crosswinds may be picking up Keep an eye out for echelons among the bunch Cyril Barthe's attempt to bridge across has been unsuccessful The riders have now entered an undulating section of the course The peloton are definitely feeling the effects of the crosswinds The bunch stretches as they head into a short descent The gap to the break is now up to 48 seconds The sprint teams drive the pace at the front of the bunch on stage 19 The four breakaway riders take on a short uncategorised climb and they have stretched their lead out to 1:00 although the undulations are putting a bit of strain on some Mads Pedersen is near the back of the bunch and looks to be struggling with the climbs following the stomach issues he suffered overnight and there are 100km remaining on this final road stage of the 2022 Tour de France Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) is hanging out of the back of the peloton this stage represents the last opportunity for many teams to fight for a stage win Two stages remain after this one - tomorrow a 40.7km individual time trial will decide the final placements on the general classification before the traditional processional stage in Paris on Sunday concluding with a sprint on the Champs-Élysées there is still just a slender gap of 1:04 to the breakaway The riders now enter a long flat section of around 35km before they take on the two categorised climbs of the day The two category 4 climbs come within 15km of one another giving the sprinters' teams enough time to close any gaps that may open on the ascents The sprinters' teams continue to drive the pace at the front of the peloton are not strong enough to create any real difficulties today - no echelons to report Once again the gap drops below a minute - it's down to 49 seconds for the time being and should take it all the way to Paris bar incident or accident The peloton rolls through the French countryside on stage 19 of the Tour de France Just under 15km to go until the first categorised climb of the day with the four-man break maintaining a gap of around 54 seconds The bunch stretches along the long road that passes through the agricultural land of the Occitanie region of France Mohoric and Van der Hoorn all look comfortable within the breakaway Their lead is at 51 seconds over the peloton Just over 10km remain until the first categorised climb The Danish crowds gathered on the slopes of the first category 4 climb of the day are a fantastic reminder of where the race started The Côte de la Cité médiévale de Lauzerte is 2km in length The breakaway sees their lead diminish to 38 seconds with just a few kilometres remaining to the first climb with just 35 seconds separating the four men out front from the chasing pack The climb of Côte de la cité médiévale de Lauzerte is via the stunning village and Simmons attacks to take the points but also split the attack Only he and Matej Mohorič are left up front now.  It'll be interesting to see if the peloton will react Behind the peloton split on the descent and the gap is opening Has anyone important missed the split?  while the split has left Fabio Jakobsen in the 2nd peloton.  Will anyone try to up the pace in the 1st peloton to keep Jakobsen out of the sprint?  There is a cross wind and so that is making it hard for the 2nd peloton to catch back All three of his UAE teammates left in the race drop back to pace him Pogacar is at the back of the peloton but now needs to move up to near the front for the hilly finale of the stage Quinn Simmons still leads alone out front but only by 30 seconds The Côte de Saint-Daunès starts soon.  The flags show that the riders are riding into as criss wind from their left.  Simmons dances up the climb but seems to be enjoying his sufferance out front.  Others not so much behind in the peloton.  Simmons is first to the top of the Côte de Saint-Daunès.  The peloton is just 8 seconds behind him.  The peloton is back together but not for long.  Alexis Gougeard attacks and so does Pogacar!  Who else but Wout van Aert drags the peloton up to Pogacar as Pogacar seems to laugh about his attack as riders to try to take the race to the sprint teams Alexis Gougeard (B&B) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek) lead by 20 seconds All three are committed to the attack.  They've also got a nice tailwind as they they roll at 55km/h.  The wind is definitely a factor as the sprint teams look at each other.  The descent from the plateau is fast as the sprint teams start to chase.  They will know if their sprinter's made it over the climb okay and if they want a sprint finish "He's going to make sure you're going to 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 about him!"The one and only Tadej Pogacar 🌠#TdF2022 | @TamauPogi pic.twitter.com/EHVaIsItHkJuly 22, 2022 Alexis Gougeard (B&B) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek) still leads by 20 seconds Lotto Soudal are also chasing for Caleb Ewan.  hence Trek's decision to race aggressively with Simmons and Stuyven van Aert and Philipsen are all up front in the peloton.  The gap to the trio of attackers is 30 seconds They're working well together and so the peloton will have to be even stronger and faster.  Jack Bauer comes up to help for BikeExchange but that's not enough Jumbo and Ineos are up front protecting their GC leaders but they're also blocking new riders from coming up to help the chase Alexis Gougeard (B&B) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek) lead by 25 seconds EF help out as QuickStep also come up to the front but does Jakobsen have anything left in his legs for the sprint The finish is technical with a rising final km DSM for Dainese and QuickStep for Jakobsen are doing the work now 👊With 10km to go, the leaders still have a 11" lead!👊À 10km de l'arrivée, les trois hommes de tête n'ont plus que 11" d'avance !#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/3xS3iseWnAJuly 22, 2022 Cattaneo moves off the front and so who will chase now?  Ineos and Jumbo are on the front but the pace has dropped Do the sprint teams think they can close the ten-second gap in the final kilometres?  Ineos and Jumbo combine to lead the peloton.  Matthews hits the front to ride for Groenewegen Van Aert takes over for the roundabouts.  The three can probably go through the roundabouts faster the peloton.  Alexis Gougeard (B&B) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek) still lead as the road starts to climb The Frenchman passed Wright on the rising finish and opened a gap to win alone Laporte is able to pint to the sky and wave his arm in disbelief.  The twisting riding finish made it hard for the pure sprinters Laporte gets a hug from Vingegaard but he's struggling to believe he has won There's never a quiet day on the Tour and never a logical finish It's a great win for Laporte but the Jumbo DS Merijn Zeeman reveals this was not the race plan There might be an interesting debrief tonight at Jumbo-Visma Laporte won but did he put Vingegaard at risk?  Indeed the initial results show that Vingegaard was gapped by Pogacar while Vingegaard was behind the split in 13th place Laporte explains that he was given some kind of freedom to go for the sprint after bringing Vingegaard safely into the final three kilometres This is how Laporte finished it off.  🏆🇫🇷 @LAPORTEChristop wins in Cahors!🏆🇫🇷 @LAPORTEChristop s’impose à Cahors !#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/HrYWhUvAJ4July 22, 2022 To read our full stage report and to see the full results and our growing photo gallery Laporte completes Jumbo-Visma domination with Tour de France stage win in Cahors Jonas Vingegaard spoke about the stress of the stage and of his happiness for Laporte's win.  "Today was a very stressful day and I’m just happy to make it and I’m even more happy that we won the stage," he said.  he’s such a nice guy and I’m incredibly happy for him  He’s been a helper for three weeks and now he can win a stage himself Vingegaard also spoke about Saturday's time trial so I know it’s quite technical in the first ten kilometres I’m just going to do everything I can and we’ll see if it’s enough like in 2020 when Pogacar took time from Roglic to win I’ll just do my best and hopefully it can be enough," Vingegaard responded Quinn Simmons enjoyed going on the attack in the first part of the stage and kept going alone It was enough to earn him the Combatif prize Jonas Vingegaard appeared to have lost a few seconds but on review the judges ruled he finished in the same time as Pogacar There were huge crowds in Cahors to celebrate a French stage win.  Laporte celebrated with his teammates but was in shock 🤩 @LAPORTEChristop still couldn’t believe what he’d done after the finish!🤩 @LAPORTEChristop avait du mal à réaliser ce qu'il venait d'accomplir juste après l'arrivée !#TDF2022 | @Continental_fr pic.twitter.com/hBlRDU6NfnJuly 22, 2022 To read the full stage report on how Laporte gave Jumbo-Visma another stage win Thanks for joining our live coverage of stage 19.  We'll be back on Saturday when Alasdair Fotheringham will be in the Cyclingnews blimp to bring you full live coverage of the 40.7km time trial from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour.  The time trail will decide the final time gaps before Sunday's parade stage into central Paris. A younger generation of winemakers has created reasons to care about Cahors I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Back in 1975, Jean-Marie Sigaud had a brilliant idea. As a child, Sigaud (whose family grows grapes and makes wine here in the Cahors region in south-western France) had heard the old men talk about how the best wines, the ones that had won medals at international expositions, historically came from the steep limestone slopes of the hillsides. Those slopes throughout Cahors were now abandoned, covered in trees, with the occasional stone terrace wall the only reminder of the presence of vineyards – before the phylloxera aphid devastated the grapevines of Europe in the late 19th century. “It’s not worth the expense,” Sigaud recalls being told. “It’s too steep and dangerous to work with tractors.” But he went ahead and planted anyway. He planted more in 2005. Now, as the patriarch of Métairie Grande du Théron, working with his sons, Sébastien and Pierre, he plans to plant another portion of the stony hillside. Cahors has not seen much excitement in a long time – centuries maybe. In the Middle Ages, its coastal rival Bordeaux blocked Cahors and other inland regions from using its ports until Bordeaux’s own wines were sold, effectively stymying growth. Although the quality of the wines was appreciated in the 19th century, Cahors has more recently been seen as little more than a backwater, a place recognised for its potential more than valued for its wines. But a new era of hope seems to have dawned in Cahors. Projects like Sigaud’s hillside vineyard, along with outside interest in the region and an energetic younger generation of producers, have injected Cahors with a sense of freshness and optimism, backed up by a group of exceptional wines. Those producers include people like Julien Ilbert of Château Combel-la-Serre and Fabien Jouves of Mas del Périé, who are upending the image of Cahors as heavy and rustic by making distinctive wines of elegance and grace. They include other producers whose wines are not yet available in the United States, like Jérémie Illouz, who is making lovely, easy-to-drink natural wines under the label Parlange & Illouz. And they include Pedro Parra, a Chilean geologist, and Antonio Morescalchi, a Tuscan wine entrepreneur, who are partners in Altos Las Hormigas, an Argentine producer dedicated to making wines of terroir in the Mendoza region, and who have formed partnerships with three producers in Cahors. Malbec is the primary red grape of Mendoza, and although most people today associate malbec with Argentina, it also happens to be the historic red grape of Cahors, where it was also known as côt or auxerrois. The malbec connection drew them to Cahors. That, and the fact that Parra is obsessed with limestone. He believes deeply that limestone and malbec are a wonderful combination for making wines with a distinctive sense of place. “It took us five years to find limestone in Argentina,” he told me on a recent visit to Cahors. “Here, it took five minutes.” Vines in Cahors are largely planted on a series of alluvial and gravel terraces rising from the Lot River, or on the plateau (or causse) above the terrace, where the limestone bedrock is covered by only a thin layer of soil. The limestone slopes inbetween, which Parra believes are the best terroir of all, are ignored except by Sigaud’s vineyard. This, to Parra, virtually amounts to sacrilege. To Parra and Morescalchi, Cahors is a region of wonderful possibilities. In their analysis, Cahors has largely ignored the resources that can make its wines most distinctive. Instead, it has sought to model itself on Argentina, which has achieved great success making ripe, fruity malbecs; or on Bordeaux, which, when imitated by Cahors, yields oaky, blockbuster wines that are seldom interesting. “A terrible bipolarity,” Morescalchi called it. They have forged partnerships with Cahors producers who are seeking to make more elegant wines, and who want to work with better terroirs. They include Château les Croisille, whose estate has vines on both the terraces and the plateau; Domaine du Prince, which has vineyards on the plateau, and the Sigaud family. All are making wines in conjunction with Leonardo Erazo, the winemaker for Altos Las Hormigas. Each has its own label: Causse du Vidot with Croisille, Causse des Ons with Prince and Causse du Théron with the Sigauds. The first vintage of each was 2014, and, although only made in small quantities, the wines should be available in the US by the beginning of autumn. Parra and Morescalchi recognise the dangers of outsiders appearing to tell the locals how to conduct their business. “Here we are, two weird guys, telling them you have limestone and the future is great,” Parra said. “Who are these people?” Morescalchi added: “If we succeed, it’s great. If not, we’re the snake oil salesmen.” So far, it appears, so good. The wines I have tasted are superb. A 2014 Causse du Vidot from the terrasses was light and lovely, although they lack a great deal of depth. But a 2014 Causse du Vidot from the plateau was fresh and structured, with earthy raspberry flavours and persistent underlying minerality: an excellent wine. A 2014 Causse des Ons from the plateau was fuller and more tannic: not as graceful as the Vidot, but powerfully mineral. Best of all was the 2014 Causse du Théron En Pente, from the Sigauds’ hillside vineyard: a wine full of tension, with dense mineral flavours entwined with raspberry fruit – long, deep and intense. Grand cru, indeed. “Our wines have become more elegant and precise, and less extracted,” said Sébastien Sigaud. “We find flavours that our grandfathers knew.” While their project is the most visible sign of evolution in Cahors, it would be wrong to ignore the young Cahors producers who are themselves bringing change to the region with their excellent wines. In the village of Trespoux-Rassiels, Fabien Jouves’ Mas del Périé is making superb wines from a number of excellent terroirs. Instead of blending the grapes from the various parcels, as his father did and as has been the custom in Cahors, he vinifies them separately, aiming for grace rather than force. “I’ve changed the style,” he said. “It was too Bordelais. My philosophy is more Burgundian. Instead of mixing it all together, I want to show different sides. Cahors is very complex.” His first vintage was 2006, which he dismisses. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said. Since 2009, he has farmed organically, and since 2011, biodynamically. “When I began, the wine was bigger and sweeter,” he said. “With biodynamics, there’s much more tension, precision and salinity.” Jouves’ 2014 La Roque, from a vineyard of rocky marl, is clear, precise and savoury, and it costs only about $20 (£15). His two best sites are Les Acacias – with plenty of limestone – which makes an elegant, gravelly wine, and Bloc B763: fractured limestone with a lot of iron, which makes a softly mineral wine of great finesse. “You have to show your emotions, your personality in the wine,” he said. Nearby, in the village of Saint-Vincent-Rive-d’Olt, Julien Ilbert of Château Combel-la-Serre makes easygoing introductions to Cahors, like his 2015 Le Pur Fruit du Causse, which is aged in stainless steel yet nonetheless demonstrates the underlying mineral character of malbec from Cahors. He also makes exceptional expressions from limestone, like Les Peyres Levades: precise, fresh and distinctive with flavours of menthol, herbs and minerals. “I want Cahors on my labels, not malbec,” Ilbert said. “Cahors is the region, the terroir, the people. We’re not malbec, not Argentina.” No other plans have surfaced to plant vineyards on the hillsides. The cost of clearing trees and working steep slopes may be too great. But the wines emerging from Cahors are so good, and are such good values, that somebody before long may be inspired to make the investment. Looking at the Sigaud vineyard, Parra said: “There are many places in Cahors like this, but it’s for the future, the next generation.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies