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SOUTH-WEST<br />
FUTURE<br />
vineyards, lending the wines their typicity. “Our<br />
objective is to gain an in-depth understanding<br />
of our vineyard sites so that Malbec can express<br />
its full potential”, says Olivier Guitard. “Cahors’<br />
success stems largely from the dynamic mindset<br />
of its winegrowers. The variety of wine styles and<br />
production models is extensive, and this leads<br />
to healthy competition between producers, and<br />
a good reputation has been garnered over the<br />
past few decades. Malbec has established itself<br />
as a calling card in many countries. It makes up<br />
for the lack of awareness of our small appellation<br />
abroad”. Drawing on their remarkable expertise,<br />
Claude and Olivier Guitard approach their task<br />
like two alchemists driven by excellence. “Our<br />
aim is to fully get to know our grape variety and<br />
above all our vineyard sites so that we can create<br />
a coherent range of wines”, says Olivier Guitard.<br />
“We strive for good ripeness to produce fine, palatable<br />
wines with silky tannins and no astringency<br />
even in the most powerful wines. There are real<br />
opportunities in export markets which have yet to<br />
be fully leveraged”.<br />
CLAUDE GUITARD AND HIS SON OLIVIER<br />
LUC LUYCKX AND HIS SON MAARTEN<br />
CHÂTEAU FAMAEY:<br />
EXPORTS SQUARELY IN ITS<br />
SIGHTS<br />
Set in the heart of the Cahors appellation, Château<br />
Famaey unfurls its 40 hectares of vines across the<br />
terraces of the Lot valley. The vineyard benefits<br />
from outstanding clay and gravel soils and abundant<br />
sunshine. Single-vineyard selections on the<br />
different terraces promote site-expressiveness<br />
and allow each wine to encapsulate its history.<br />
Luc Luyckx and his business partner Marc Van<br />
Antwerpen arrived in Quercy in 2000 from their<br />
native Belgium and quickly fell in love with the<br />
region. They have made a pledge to the environment<br />
and were certified HVE level 3 (High Environmental<br />
Value) in 2019. They lavish constant<br />
care on their vines and respect for nature is a<br />
pillar of their winemaking process. Yields are<br />
carefully capped to produce rich, earth-friendly<br />
and authentic grapes, with natural harvesting<br />
WINTER 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE <strong>FR</strong>ENCH EXPERTS ON WINE<br />
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