South-west France

The appellation has been named after the city of the same name, which is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France. The vineyard area totals around 4.500 hectares, the vineyards are located on both banks of the Lot river, to the north-west of Gaillac. The wine-growing region is one of the oldest and also one of the most famous in France. The Celts, or Gauls as they were known here, produced oak barrels here as early as the 6th century BC. The Romans grew wine here under emperor Domitian (51-96 AD). Wine from Cahors was exported to England in the 13th century, and was held in high esteem there, being known as „black wine”. The man who was later to become pope John XII. (1244–1334) was born here, and a university he founded was in existence for more than 400 years. When the pope was resident in Avignon on the Rhône river, he invited wine-growers from the Cahors region to come to the Rhône, and to plant the predecessor of what was to become Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. King Francis I. (1494–1547) was so enthusiastic about the reputation of Cahors wines, that he had vines planted at his residence Fontainebleau (city to the south-east of Paris). The orthodox church purchased communion wine from Cahors, and the Russian Zars enjoyed the wines at special court occasions. Because the original was difficult to pronounce, it became known as Kagor, and became a sysnonym for communion wine. The famous Massandra wine estate in the Ukraine, owned by the Czar, produced a dessert wine modelled on Cahors, which is still produced today. In the 19th century, the „black wine of Cahors” built up a legendary reputation. At that time, part of the must was boiled to make it thicker and more syrupy, this also helped to make the wine such a dark colour.

In the second half of the 19th century, phylloxera destroyed large tracts of vineyard, and in many cases hybrid varieties were planted instead. Extremely harsh frost destroyed all the vines in the winter of 1956, which had a very positive effect on the quality of the wines. The vineyards were now replanted mainly with Malbec (also known as Auxerrois or Cot in this region, covering 70% of the area), as well as with Merlot and Tannat. After that, things were soon looking up again, with AC status being awarded in 1971. The French state president at the time, Georges Pompidou (1911-1974), who owned property in the Lot département, played a key role in this development. The red wine has a deep colour and has long maturation potential, it is characterised by an intense, tannic flavour. It is made from a minimum of 70% Malbec, and may be blended with up to 30% of Tannat and/or Merlot (Jurançon Noir has no longer been permitted since 1996). Well-known producers include Château Bovila, Château de Caïx, Château de Mercuès, Château du Cayrou, Château du Cèdre, Château du Souleillou, Château Gautoul, Château Haute-Serre, Château Lagrézette, Château Lamartine, Château Leret-Monpezat, Château Quattre, Château Vincens, Clos de Camot, Clos la Coutale, Clos Triguedina, Domaine de Gaudou, Domaine de la Coustarelle, Domaine des Grauzils, Domaine des Savarines and Domaine Pinneraie. The VDQS Coteaux du Quercy is also produced in the Cahors region.