As already in 2016, the two white wines were entirely made without addition of sulfur and have since shown an undreamt evolution of aromatic finesse and complexity. Only a small amount of sulfur (10 mg / L) is added during bottling to help the wines overcome this final, crucial stage.

Le Cèdre Héritage blanc 2018
This wine shows a full bouquet of exotic fruits, butter and citrus oil, gradually adding delicate floral scents. Pleasant smoothness accompanies the outstanding freshness on the palate, which creates a balanced and harmonious wine from the beginning. An amazing, nuanced wine that will accompany your aperitif, as well as raw fish, all kinds of terrines, salads and cream cheese.

Le Cèdre blanc 2018
While Viognier seems to play a major role in the beginning, with its full scent of apricot, peach and pineapple, the bouquet quickly develops into more complexity and elegance: White pepper, flower scents, herbs and freshly baked pastry... A lively and fresh Wine, in constant evolution, with surprisingly intense aromas, defies its delicate and fine character. Gentle on the palate, at the same time rich and light, with a long, very aromatic finish: Lemon and spices, as well as a bouquet of dried flowers.
A fresh, fine-grained wine that will accompany your “aperitif dinatoire”. It also perfectly matches with refined seafood or flavourfull cheese (Chaource, fresh Munster cheese, goat’s cheese).

Together with my brother, we have been working the vineyards and making wine in Cahors for over 30 years. A cyclical life, in the rhythm of nature and seasons. But no two years are alike and each vintage brings new questions, surprises and successes.

As you may know, over the past decade, the part of sulfur-free wines in our cellars had been steadily growing . This was especially possible thanks to the outstanding work of my brother Jean-Marc and his team in the vineyards. Every year, we owe to them a perfect, ripe and healthy harvest in the cellar, where the grapes are taken over by Olivier, our cellar master since 19 years. The making, but especially the ageing and ripening of sulfur-free wines for 12 or even 24 months requires a high degree of rigor and a good feeling for the characters of the wines and vintages.

In 2017 our harvest was reduced to a minimum by strong spring frost. The only wine that was produced at our winery this year was the sulfur-free “Cuvee Extra Libre”. A real challenge for us, which perfectly illustrates the successful cooperation between cellar and vineyards in the best way possible.

Today we present the first wines of the wonderful 2018 vintage: The Malbec Extra Libre (already the 5^th vintage for this cuvee). We hope you’ll enjoy it !

Extra Libre 2018
From the beginning, this cuvee showed up to be a crisp, thirst-quenching red wine. And the 2018 vintage confirms this trait again. It is one of those new wines from Cahors, which show that Malbec is a diverse, high-quality grape variety, with which one can produce a large number of different wines: From light and fresh, to full-bodied and complex.

In the nose you will find intense aromas of black fruits and spices, as well as some plant flavors such as mint and green pepper. Fresh and juicy on the palate, one has almost the impression of drinking pure grape juice, especially since the tannin structure is fine and discreet. A perfect summer wine that loves everything that has been grilled: fish, meat, vegetables ... Over the next few months, the wine will develop into a more serious profile, in which spicy flavors and crisp tannins will play a bigger role.

DENSE, STRUCTURED AND WILD
Due to its nature, the Cuvée GC initially holds back. Built for long cellaring, it doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to play all its cards. Carefully and calmly it takes a deep breath before he starts to reveal its traits. While the bouquet first is full of spice and savagery, dark fruity notes gradually take over. Lemon peels bring in some zest, peppermint and wild pepper give ease and depth. Clear tannins, radiant acidity, soft, broad structure ... Let him meditate for a few more years in the cellar.

SILKY, ELEGANT AND DELICATE
Autumn seems to have compiled the bouquet of the cuvée Le Cèdre: raspberries and blueberries to commemorate the summer, green pepper and star anise in anticipation of winter, cedar wood and forest mushrooms give autumn colours ... On the palate you will find the elegant dancer again, which represents its unique character with amazing precision and delicacy. A great year for the cuvée Le Cèdre, an exquisite pleasure that you should decant while young, whereas the most patient may ripen this wine in the cellar for many years.

ENTHUSIASIVE, JOYFULL AND TYPICALLY CAHORS!
Even if it wanted, it could not deny its origins and roots. What a wonderful expression of a typical Malbec from Cahors: Sour cherries and blackberries, gingerbread and pipe tobacco, fresh and slightly smoky ... Soft on the palate, with grip and freshness and delicate, well-integrated tannin structure, it shows a lot of length and a juicy and spicy finish. Enjoy immediately or mature as a loyal table companion in the cellar for many years.

The 2015 vintage in Cahors
A great vintage! Healthy grapes, concentrated and moderate power, ideal for producing great, balanced, promising wines.

Cahors Extra Libre 2016
A fine perfume of cassis, blackberries and blueberries mixed with yellow peach and mango. A touch of iris and daffodil flowers gives the wine an elegant, floral character. On the palate, it is a true delicacy: fresh fruit juice from the nose-scented fruits, enriched with lemon peel and white pepper. Playful tannins make the fruits even crisper, changing the palate into an explosion of fresh fruits, quenching the thirst of the deeply impressed taste buds. An extremely lively wine, whose delicate fruit immediately convinces.

Extra Libre Le Cèdre 2015
On the nose, fresh bread, with delicate marmalade of raspberries, cassis and strawberries, still refined by some floral scent. Spicy scents of black pepper, cardamom and anise complete the picture. The palate is dense, young tannins in the foreground, but surrounded by fresh, soft juiciness. Still a bit closed, the wine already offers a clear sketch of its complexity.

In vino Veritas Belgium - February 2018

After having elected Cahors “wine region of the year” in 2016, Michel Bettane wished to make the appelation its guest of honor on June 1^st and 2^nd at the Grand Tasting Bettane & Desseauve at the Bellagio Hotel in Shanghai. A conference dedicated to the renaissance of the appellation and a tasting commented by Michel Bettane were the highlights of this event bringing together 1,200 Chinese professionals and specifiers who "have often indicated that they prefer the French Malbec from Cahors to that of Argentina, and this for reasons of balance, freshness related to acidity, finesse in tannins, but also style and therefore particular identity.

Important personalities of the Chinese wine industry intervened after Jérémy Arnaud and Michel Bettane to explain that Cahors was an example to follow for the Chinese vineyards!

Extract from an article by MediaLot

You should forget the out-dated image of furry Cahors wines scratching the palate ... Modern Cahors is a true charmer. Malbec gives us wonderful wines on this complex terroir. In good hands it makes full and harmonious, but above all tasty wines!

Château du Cèdre 2011
Beautiful fragrance of red and black fruits, as well as spicy notes. Well-integrated tannins and completely controlled power. Velvety texture, harmonious.

Battle Château Pineraie vs. Château du Cèdre
Two wines from Cahors ready to be tasted, but who can easily mature for another 10 years. Château Pineraie is an ancient winery that shows all its skills in this top cuvée presented here. Seductive and very complete. The Château du Cèdre 2011, with its soft texture and harmony, nevertheless seems to be superior. And this is just the basic wine of the winery! Both wines can easily compete with their (almost) neighbours from Saint-Émilion.

Beef Magazine France January 2018

After historically low yields for the 2017 vintage, new challenges await us for the next few years. Thanks to the orientation towards organic viticulture and the outstanding work of my brother Jean-Marc and his team over the past decades, we have created harmonious and natural conditions in our vineyards. But last years weather conditions have shown, that we may have to focus on the vagaries of climate from now on and learn how to counter them. Cahors was besieged by frost for five consecutive nights in spring 2017, declining harvest to yields to as little as 11 hectoliters per hectare. After a dry and warm summer, with some rain showers in August and September, we harvested healthy and fully ripened grapes at the beginning of the fall. As in previous years, the harvest was completely fermented to wine without the addition of sulfur and is now stored in the wood tanks of our cellar.

At the moment we are busy with pruning in the vineyard. The vines promise a great harvest for 2018, for which we will do our utmost to bring it completely and tasty into the cellar.

Sincerely,
Pascal Verhaeghe

Château du Cèdre 2014(93 points)
Spicy black-currant aromas on the nose and intense juicy black fruit on the dense palate. The rich, generous layers of fruit perfectly balance the tannins that build up to a harmonious whole.
#57 at Top 100 Wine Enthusiast 2017

Le Cèdre Cahors 2014(94 points)
Bursting with juicy ripe berry fruit and with firm background tannins. Its great fruitiness is contrasted with the strength of those tannins and with its concentration.

GC Cahors 2014(95 points)
With its dense tannins, rich black fruit flavours, acidity and restrained power, it is a major force. Even with all its weight, it’s stylish, complex and ageworthy wine.