2016 | Domaine de La Berangeraie | Cuvee Les Quatre Chambrees

Producer Information

Bérangeraie is the type of domaine that inspired Nick to set up Vine Trail 30 years ago. Run by the exceptionally hard-working Bérenger family, the domaine is in the hands of Maurin, his wife Marlène (both oenologists), sister Juline and her husband Henri who have diplomas in viticulture. Parents Sylvie and André originally had the mountainous task of clearing the limestone causse (above Grezels) of trees and shrubs to plant 20ha of vines in 1970 when the house was a tumble-down ruin, and the site had no access, water or electricity! Here in this hauntingly peaceful and quite sauvage site, the family have the great benefit of being isolated away from the impact of other winemakers' work. Over the years the holdings have gradually increased to 30ha with many more mouths to feed in the three families the domaine supports. Dynamic doesn't quite go far enough to describe the Bérenger's work. In the vineyards they plough, leaf-thin and debud to produce low yields. They are also one of the only domaines in Cahors where all the vines are hand-harvested. Hand-harvesting is four times more expensive than machine harvesting, but it prolongs the life of the vine and is the only way to ensure the quality of every grape that goes into the fermentation vat. In 2002 they then built two houses for their young families from the local rough-hewn limestone. As if this work was not enough, Maurin was then voted president of the grower's syndicate for three years where, determined to show all the wines of Cahors in a better light, he persuaded the growers to reduce their maximum yield from 60 to 50hh. Now with houses finished and two spells as president behind him (he was re-elected for another stint), Maurin and the Bérenger family are applying all their efforts to finessing and improving their wines a touch further. How do they do this when they are hardly in need of oenological advice? According to Maurin, by regular tastings, when five of the top Cahors winemakers meet and taste each other's wines (Pascal Verhaeghe from Château du Cèdre is one of the five), also by a recent certification of their work (in practically all aspects their work is organic) by Terra Vitis. In the cave, they continue to produce separate ranges of cuve and oak-aged wines, with their scarce top wines being made from single parcels. They also keep interventions of the wines down to a minimum and have drastically reduced the levels of sulphur. All the wines in the range are seriously good and represent outstanding value for money.

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