Chateau Famaey Cahors Malbec

When they arrived in Quercy in the early 2000s from their native Belgium, Luc Luyckx and his partner Marc Van Antwerpen fell in love with the region. They set their sights on a vineyard that is located in Puy l'Évêque and on privileged 'terroirs' in the heart of the Lot valley. “Taken hostage by wine” as Luc enjoys repeating, he has devoted himself with passion to his job as a winegrower ever since. Ambassador of the appellation, he travels the world to promote the wines of Château Famaey (regularly acclaimed by the international press) and carry the colours of Cahors with pride.

Since 2007, it is his son Maarten who, just as passionate as his father, has been responsible for the 'vinification' and strives to make the family estate improve a little more every day. Currently certified High Environmental Value (level 3), Château Famaey offers a fine range of wines between classic and signature cuvées in white, rosé, red and sparkling.

At the heart of the Cahors appellation, the estate consists of 40 hectares of vines, located on the terraces of the Lot Valley.

The vineyard benefits from an exceptional terroir of clay and gravel and an abundance of sunshine. The parcel selection on the different terraces allows us to express through each cuvée the diversity of our terroir and its history.

The estate is committed to working as respectfully as possible with nature. Since 2019, they have been certified HVE level 3 (High Environmental Value).

Permanent care of the vines and respect for nature are the pillars of our cultivation methods and we carefully control our yields in order to produce rich, honest and authentic grapes.

The best parcels of the vineyard are harvested by hand, making the harvest a traditional annual celebration.

In a search for quality and constant evolution, Maarten, the Cellar Master, collaborates with one of the best oenologists in the region. This dynamic family estate, with a reputation for producing “Modern Cahors”, creates fine wines from the emblematic grape variety of the Cahors appellation; but at Château Famaey you will also find atypical and innovative wines such as natural sparkling or local white wines.

At the crossroads of tradition and modern techniques, the production of the wine is based on the richness of the grapes and a creative and rigorous know-how.

Each cuvée of Château Famaey expresses its terroir and the choice of aging method to bring out the best in the grape, whether it is aging in egg-shaped vats, in sandstone jars or longer aging in barrels of French oak.

Today our wines are widely recognized and exported to around thirty countries around the world.

Malbec,

25 to 45 year old vines. Old alluvial deposits from the second terrace of the Lot, they are rather decarbonated and made up of gravel and clayey sand with heterogeneous pebbles and alluvial deposits from the high terrace of the Lot.

Traditional natural vinification in concrete vats, vatting approximately 21 days.

18 months in 225L oak barrels (2nd and 3rd fill from Allier in central France).

Beautiful deep purple colour. What a nose! Sensation seekers, on your marks! Ready? Smoky, woody notes, prunes, black cherry jam, leather... What complexity! The mouth, wow! Power in elegance, notes of undergrowth, mushrooms, liquorice, with pretty tannins which fix the palate. There is juice. Stunning.

Serve with a large dinner with a simply roasted duck and pan-fried chanterelles.

This wine is a pure winner with cassoulet.