Château Lagrézette is the flagship prestige estate of Cahors. A 15th-century building in the commune of Caillac, acquired in 1980 by Alain-Dominique Perrin — then CEO of Cartier International — and restored at considerable cost, the estate today covers 90 hectares managed under integrated agriculture (HVE level 3). In December 2025, Alain-Dominique Perrin handed over the presidency to his eldest daughter Sonia Perrin — a key step for the next generation of the estate. The « Le Pigeonnier » cuvée, launched in 1997, is one of the three or four iconic references of the appellation. Our top 10 Cahors wines 2026 places it at number 1.
For general context, see our complete guide to the Cahors AOC.
Estate identity card
- Location: Domaine de Lagrézette, 46140 Caillac, clay-limestone hillside on the north bank of the Lot, 12 km west of Cahors.
- Surface: 90 hectares managed under integrated agriculture.
- Château: listed 15th-century building, restored between 1980 and 1995 by Alain-Dominique Perrin.
- Owners: the Perrin family. Presidency handed over from Alain-Dominique Perrin to his daughter Sonia Perrin in December 2025.
- Oenological direction: Michel Rolland, international consultant oenologist, collaborates each year on the vinification and personally carries out the blending in the estate's cellars.
- Grape varieties: ~90% Malbec, complemented by Merlot and Tannat; a few plots in white and rosé outside the AOC.
- Certifications: HVE level 3 (Haute Valeur Environnementale).
- House style: assumed prestige, long ageing, search for noble concentration.
History: a captain of industry serving wine (then his daughter)
The modern history of the château begins in 1980, when Alain-Dominique Perrin (then CEO of Cartier International) bought the property in ruin. His vision: to make Cahors a great French cru of international standing, capable of rivalling the Bordeaux and Burgundy classics.
Massive investment followed: complete restoration of the château and cellars, planting of selected grape varieties, hiring of oenologist Michel Rolland as consultant, modernisation of the facilities. The result was visible from the late 1990s — Lagrézette began to appear in international guides (RVF, Hachette, Wine Spectator, Decanter).
The launch of the « Le Pigeonnier » cuvée in 1997 marked the summit of the project: a Cahors of absolute prestige, vinified from a single plot, sold at a price that assumes its singularity. The cuvée takes its name from the 17th-century dovecote on the estate.
In December 2025, Alain-Dominique Perrin officially transmitted the presidency of the estate to his eldest daughter Sonia Perrin, opening the chapter of the second Perrin generation at Lagrézette. Continuity of the project and of the Rolland oenological signature is announced.
The terroir: an exceptional hillside and the Pigeonnier
The Caillac hillside on which the vineyard extends is one of the most singular terroirs of the Cahors AOC. Deep clay-limestone soil, southern exposure, microclimate protected by the château and surrounding woods. This configuration allows optimal Malbec ripeness without excessive heat — the day/night thermal swing remains sufficient to preserve acid freshness.
The plot known as "Le Pigeonnier" (2.7 hectares) is isolated within the estate. Its oldest vines are old-vine Malbec on clay-limestone soils. This plot yields the most concentrated, most complex and most precious Cahors of the estate: the eponymous cuvée is aged 28 months in new French oak, at around 6,500 bottles per year since its first vintage in 1997.
To understand the diversity of Cadurcian terroirs, see our terroir page.
Flagship cuvées
The estate organises its range into four collections: Les Icônes (prestige cuvées), Le Cœur (château cuvée), Les Hommages (feminine cuvées, including Marguerite, Dame Honneur), Les Essentiels (accessible cuvées, including Blanc and Rosé de Julie).
Château Lagrézette
Cahors AOC red · 8-12 years
The classic château cuvée (collection Le Cœur), vinified from the estate blend (excluding elite plots). Long vinification, 14-16 months in barrel (moderate new-oak proportion). Structured profile, careful elegance, honourable length. Very good price/prestige ratio at this tier.
Cuvée Marguerite
Cahors AOC red · 8-12 years
A cuvée from the Les Hommages collection, a feminine tribute of the house. Generous profile, barrel ageing, careful tannic structure.
Dame Honneur
Cahors AOC red · 12-18 years
Prestige cuvée from the Les Hommages collection, plot selection from the Caillac terroir, meticulous vinification, 18 months in barrel with higher new-oak proportion. Elegant and complex profile, with a floral note characteristic of the estate. A cuvée that requires time but rewards patience.
Paragon
« Les Icônes » collection · 15-22 years
Signature cuvée, selection from the best plots, vinification carried out degree by degree. One of the longest-finishing Cahors our editorial team has tasted this year (2018 vintage). Must be cellared before opening (minimum 5 years after vintage).
Le Pigeonnier
« Les Icônes » collection · Single 2.7-ha plot · 15-25 years
The emblem cuvée of the estate and one of the absolute references of the appellation. 100% Malbec, old vines, manual harvest, very precise vinification, 28 months in new French oak barrels. Production around 6,500 bottles per year since the first vintage in 1997. Dense, concentrated, complex, racy profile — a Cahors that approaches the great classical Bordeaux while remaining identifiable.
Our number 1 in the top 10 Cahors wines 2026.
Other cuvées
- Le Pigeonnier Rosé — rosé expression of the Pigeonnier plot, very confidential production.
- Le Pigeonnier White Vision — signature white wine, outside the Cahors AOC.
- Blanc de Julie and Rosé de Julie — Les Essentiels collection, accessible white and rosé range.
- Roseberry — another house rosé.
The editor's word
Lagrézette is the best-known estate outside France of the Cahors AOC, and one of the most visible on demanding international markets. Its assumed ambition — to place Cahors alongside the great classic French reds — has carried the appellation for 45 years and continues with the new generation.
Strengths:
- Project coherence over 45 years: investment level and qualitative demands remarkably constant since 1980.
- Internationally referenced prestige cuvées — scored by Decanter, Wine Spectator, RVF, Guide Hachette.
- Michel Rolland oenological signature: precision approach to blending, makes the estate a reference for lovers of Bordeaux-structured Cahors.
- Estate open to the public, with nearby 4-star dining and lodging (Château de Mercuès, Relais & Châteaux).
- Long ageing demonstrated on Le Pigeonnier and Paragon — 1999, 2000, 2005 vintages hold up remarkably.
- Successful generational transmission: the Alain-Dominique → Sonia Perrin succession (December 2025) opens a new chapter without rupture, in the continuity of the project.
- Four legible collections: Les Icônes (Pigeonnier, Paragon), Les Hommages (Dame Honneur, Cuvée Marguerite), Le Cœur (château cuvée) and Les Essentiels (Blanc and Rosé de Julie) — every wine lover finds their entry point.
To note for the wine lover:
- Marked barrel ageing on prestige cuvées: the Rolland stylistic signature that defines the Lagrézette style. Lovers seeking a more stripped-back Cahors can start with the Château Lagrézette cuvée (Le Cœur collection) before stepping up.
- Signature cuvée at the appellation summit: Le Pigeonnier and Paragon — prestige positioning that reflects the 28-month ageing in new oak and very low plot-level yields.
- HVE level 3 environmental approach (Haute Valeur Environnementale) — a serious certification, complementary to the biodynamic approaches practised by some other estates of the appellation.
An essential of the Cahors AOC, both for the Le Pigeonnier cuvée — the absolute reference of the appellation — and for the complete wine-tourism experience the château offers.
Public sources consulted: chateau-lagrezette.com (official site and boutique — Icônes, Hommages, Cœur, Essentiels collections) · Tourisme Lot — Lagrézette (address, contact, hours, lodging) · Guide Hachette des Vins (history and awards) · iDealwine — Pigeonnier listings (first vintage 1997, ~6,500 bottles/year) · third-party sites Vinatis, Wine-Searcher, Le Petit Ballon. Published and updated 15 May 2026.
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