Vignobles Sigaud

Cahors is an old, established region, but the period in the sixties and seventies saw a steady decline in popularity and quality. In 1975, Jean-Marie Sigaud, from a family of vine growers, decided that quality needed to be improved by using the best vineyard sites. He remembered as a child being told by old growers that the best sites were the mainly abandoned, steep vineyards on terraces overlooking the River Lot, usually on limestone soil. So, he cleared one vineyard and, delighted with the results, planted another. He has since been joined by many other growers, who, between them, are driving the quality of the area forward.

Jean-Marie has now been joined by his two sons, Pierre and Sébastien, and between them, they run four estates around Cahors and one in Fitou. The heart of the estate is the Métairie du Grand Theron (pictured below), an old farmhouse built surrounding a courtyard Sébastien, Jean-Marie and Pierre Sigaud and comprising 36 ha of vineyards on a limestone plateau with plenty of stones, at about 100 metres above sea level. Haute-Borie (pictured above) is 16 ha on limestone slopes at about 170 metres above sea level, while the two other Cahors estates, Pech Chagut and Souleillou comprise 35 ha between them. Each has their own chai. Winemaking is traditional in temperature-controlled cement tanks, with ageing generally in concrete and stainless steel. The aim is to make balanced wines that respect the limestone terroir.