Winery Overview
The Chateau La Caminade vineyards lie in Parnac, in the heart of the Cahors region. In 1895, Antonin Ressès, great grandfather of current fourth-generation owners Dominique and Richard Ressès, inherited the Domaine du Château la Caminade. Up until the French Revolution, the winery belonged to a monastery. The monks knew how to select the best soils and produced the best wines. Domaine La Caminade was named after this history, because La Caminade means “The Presbytery.” The vineyards of Cahors lay an equal distance from the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees. They are planted along the banks and hills of the Lot River valley. As a result of its millennia of work carving through a limestone plateau, the Lot River left a narrow band of hills ideally suited to the vine. The soils vary according to their proximity to the river, with the lower terraces having more alluvial deposits and the upper vineyards having more exposed rock. The vineyards date back at least two thousand years and the wines of Cahors have an illustrious history that includes being sought after by the Roman Emperor Domitian, the Russian Orthodox Church and numerous kings and bishops. In 1973, as soon as Cahors became “Appellation Cahors Contrôlée,” grandfather Marcel his son Léonce started to sell their entire production in bottles. Today, the winery is a 66-acre (27-hectare) estate on a variety of soil types including gravelly sand and clay/limestone. The vineyards are certified “Haute valeure Environmentale” Level 3 which requires a comprehensive sustainability. Its geographical location and its microclimate allow the perfect ripening of each grape variety and to harvest without fear of autumn frosts. What distinguishes Chateau La Caminade from the other great wines of the Southwest and from the Argentinian Malbecs is their freshness and liveliness. Linked to the natural acidity of the wine, these wines also have an exceptional aptitude for aging. When young, the wines have a dense, often even black appearance. Their rich and complex scents evolve in a surprising way over time. Part of the Wine Traditions Portfolio