Bergerac Blanc La Cuvee des Conti Chateau Tour des Gendres 2020

Bergerac has often had difficulty in identifying itself. It is so close to Bordeaux and the wines are understandably very similar.

There are subtle differences though. Bergerac, more inland, is a little hotter during the summer and less wet. The wines can be a little fuller as a result. Grape varieties are much the same, except in Bergerac merlot and malbec do better than cabernet.

Château Tour des Gendres is produced at ‘Les Gendres’ situated at Ribagnac, which has been owned by the de Conti family since 1981. Built over a ‘Gallo-Roman’ site the soil here is very calcareous. Winemaker Luc de Conti runs his 50 hectare organic vineyard on biodynamic lines, growing his grapes as near as possible to the ground and using no fertilisers. The harvest is worked day and night and the grapes transported straight to the winery in draining tanks so that the juice and berries are never in contact.

Luc has been well aware that Bergerac needs to be different and more ‘sud-ouest’ in style which is why he has chosen to major on the malbec grape. After all Cahors, well-known for its Malbec wines, is only about an hour’s drive away. Luc's whites are a blend in which the taste of ripe semillon seems to dominate to delicious effect.