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“Juveniles” is a Cahors AOC interpretation that reveals the energy and fruit expression of ‘Malbec’ without heavy extraction. With this wine, Château du Cèdre aims to show a different side of Cahors – not monumental, but lively, direct, and everyday, while preserving a clear sense of origin and a structural backbone.
The aroma is open and youthful: black cherries, plums, and blackcurrants intertwine with light floral notes and freshly ground pepper. In the glass, the fruit remains clean, without any marks of excessive ageing.
On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with lively acidity and soft, polished tannins. The texture is juicy and linear, allowing the fruit to take center stage while the structure maintains balance. The finish is dry, clean, and light.
The limestone and clay soils of the Cahors area, together with the influence of the Lot River, give ‘Malbec’ grapes their natural acidity and fresh fruit profile. In the case of “Juveniles,” the voice of place is expressed through lightness and clarity, rather than concentration.
Fermentation and ageing take place in stainless steel tanks, avoiding oak influence in order to preserve primary aromas and varietal character.
Serve at 14–16 °C. Goes well with roast beef, lamb sausages, and grilled vegetables.
Léon Verhaeghe is born in the small town of Moorslede in the Flemish region of Belgium. When WW1 is declared in 1914 and the country is annexed, Léon is among the millions of Belgians who flee to the France. Later, his son, Charles Verhaeghe, meets Marie-Thérèse Rives, whose family owns a traditional multi-crop farm in Vire-sur-Lot. While cultivating the land and his love for it, he develops a growing desire to expand the scope of his practice. He watches with fascination as some of his neighbours transform their grapes: his project is clear. He too wants to produce his own wine.The couple continue their multi-crop farming activities and plant their first hectare of vines alongside the lavender in 1958. This piece of land, characterised by limestone scree cones, forms part of the great terroir we know today. 1973 sees the result of all the hard work. Self-taught, Charles and Marie Thérèse Verhaeghe carry out their first wine bottling, alongside their usual distillation of lavender. When Charles is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1987, the work becomes too difficult. His sons, Pascal and Jean-Marc, decide to return to the estate to help him. Pascal, trained in viticulture and winemaking at Jean-Marie Guffens and then in Napa Valley, and Jean-Marc, a graduate of La Tour Blanche in Sauternes, have the necessary knowledge and desire to manage the vineyard. Working in synergy, they inject their enthusiasm into the business and constantly experiment. Quality becomes the absolute priority.With this common goal, they share the work: Jean-Marc makes cultivating the vines his speciality and Pascal devotes himself to making, maturing, and marketing the wine. In fifteen years, they take Château du Cèdre to the top of the Cahors appellation.
