Our Story

The centuries-old vineyards of Clos de Gamot

“We can find the Jouffreau family in Prayssac since 1290. They were farmers, merchants, etc.

But it is since 1450 that you can find Clos de Gamot, at the bottom of the meanders of Prayssac, surrounded by fields and vineyards.

In 1610, the Jouffreau family build a house in the middle of the vines. Nowadays, this house still shelters its descendants...”

Guillaume Jouffreau

Through the centuries, the family works on the vineyard and grows wine at Clos de Gamot.
The first big trouble happens in 1880: it is the beginning of the phylloxera epidemic which will destroyed most of the European grapes.
The vineyard id dying… During the 1883 and 1884’s winters, Guillaume Jouffreau decided to collect the last vines shoots of Malbec from Clos de Gamot and then, try to graft them onto other vines branch.

The Malbec on a Herbemont’s rootstock is a success! Guillaume Jouffreau saved its vineyard but also almost all the Cahors area.

Winter 1885 :

It’s time to replant the vines with those new genetic clones of Clos de Gamot grape.

Autumn 2005 :

We still can harvest a few clusters of Malbec on these vines.

120 years of life !

A unique and exceptional fact in the French Vineyard.

These centuries-old vines, carved by time, continue to produce a few clusters of pure Malbec every year, where we find the concentration, the power, the richness and the original expression of this grape variety.

 

1885

Guillaume Jouffreau saved the Clos de Gamot vineyard but also almost all the Cahors area.