Château du Cèdre

What Château du Cèdre does

Château du Cèdre is a privately held, family-owned organic winery based in Vire-sur-Lot (Cahors appellation, France), operated by the Verhaeghe family across three generations since the first vineyards were planted in 1958 and the first commercial bottling was completed in 1973. The estate cultivates 15 hectares on three distinct parcels — limestone scree cones (Grèzes) and two Mindel high terraces with ~500,000-year-old alluvial deposits — primarily producing Malbec-based wines across a full portfolio that includes AOC Cahors reds (Juvéniles, Le Cèdre, Château du Cèdre), single-parcel rarities (GC from centenary vines, Charly limited to 1,200 bottles), IGP Côtes du Lot whites (Les Grèzes, Le Cèdre Blanc), the experimental orange wine L'Improbable, the sulfite-free Extra Libre, and a Sweet Malbec vin de liqueur.

The technical platform is defined by organic viticulture (certified since 2012, with chemical weeding stopped in 1992 and synthetic pesticides in 2002), massal selection for replanting, minimal-intervention winemaking using indigenous yeasts, no added sulfites, and aging on total lees in 500L oak foudres and concrete vats. The estate is led by co-gérants Pascal and Jean-Marc Verhaeghe, with third-generation winemaker Jules Verhaeghe (recognized as Meilleur vigneron du Sud-Ouest 2026) assuming winemaking responsibilities in 2019.

Revenue is generated through two complementary channels: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at boutique.chateauducedre.com with integrated payment processing and estate cellar-door sales, plus a structured B2B distribution network comprising Le Cèdre Diffusion for the Lot department, Java Sud-Ouest for southwest France, and Accents & Terroirs for export markets, managed by a dedicated export sales manager. Target segments span individual wine enthusiasts seeking organic terroir-driven bottles, serious collectors of limited cuvées, and wine trade professionals (restaurants, retailers, wholesalers). The estate holds two stars in the Guide des meilleurs vins de France 2026 and has received 90+ point ratings from RVF, James Suckling, Robert Parker, and Wine Enthusiast across multiple vintages.

Name

Château du Cèdre

Legal name

Le Cèdre Diffusion

Website

https://chateauducedre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Château du Cèdre is a privately held, third-generation family-owned organic winery in the Cahors appellation producing Malbec-based red, white, specialty, and fortified wines from 15 hectares for individual wine enthusiasts, collectors, and wine trade distributors across France and export markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Wines

NAICS

Wineries (31213), Grape Vineyards (111332), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Vineyard & Wine Grape Farming (AFAGAKAI), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Organic wine production
• AOC Cahors wines
• Malbec winemaking
• Estate-bottled wines
• Sulfite-free winemaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeneuve-sur-lot

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct wine sales (B2C): The winery sells directly to consumers through their e-commerce platform boutique.chateauducedre.com, offering their complete range of organic Cahors wines and IGP Côtes du Lot whites. Customers can purchase online and receive shipments directly.
2. Wholesale/Distribution (B2B): The estate supplies wines to distributors and resellers, with dedicated sales contacts for France (Java Sud-Ouest for southwest, Le Cèdre Diffusion for Lot), export (Accents & Terroirs), and restaurant/retail partners throughout their distribution network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Château du Cèdre is a family-owned organic winery producing Malbec-based wines from its 15-hectare estate in the Cahors appellation of France. The portfolio spans AOC Cahors reds, IGP Côtes du Lot whites, natural and orange wines, a fortified Sweet Malbec, and limited parcellary cuvées vinified with indigenous yeasts, no added sulfites, and aging on total lees. Wines are sold direct-to-consumer via online boutique, on-premise at the estate, and through regional, domestic, and export distributors.

Product overview

Château du Cèdre is an organic winery in Cahors producing a portfolio of Malbec-focused wines across multiple appellations and styles. The estate offers a hierarchy ranging from accessible appellation wines (Juvéniles, Le Cèdre) to premium single-vineyard expressions (GC, Charly), complemented by white wines (Le Cèdre Blanc, Les Grèzes), an experimental orange wine (L'Improbable), a zero-sulfur natural cuvée (Extra Libre), and a fortified Sweet Malbec. The portfolio explores the full range of the estate's two signature terroir types: limestone scree (grèzes) and ancient Mindel river terrace alluvions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Château du Cèdre
• Le Cèdre
• Le Cèdre Blanc
• GC
• Charly
• Juvéniles
• L'Improbable
• Extra Libre
• Les Grèzes
• Sweet Malbec

Quantifiable outcome

• 95/100 RVF rating for Charly 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered regional.

• Java Sud-OuestregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJava Sud-Ouest handles France sales for the southwest region. Contact: Laurent ALVAREZ FIDALGO, Phone: +33(0)6 08 47 39 31, Email: [email protected]
• Accents & TerroirsregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccents & Terroirs handles export sales. Contact: Aurore Del Vitto, Tél: +33(0)6 08 46 82 32, Email: [email protected]
• Le Cèdre DiffusionregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLe Cèdre Diffusion handles Lot department sales. Contact: Laurent Laviale, Phone: +33(0)6 85 20 44 29, Email: [email protected]

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Château La Caminade: Family-run organic Cahors estate focused on Malbec with similar terroir-driven philosophy and estate-size. Direct regional peer in both appellation and organic production approach.
• Domaine de la Mordorée: Family-run organic estate in Tavel (Rhône) with comparable philosophy of organic viticulture, indigenous yeasts, and minimal-intervention winemaking. Same artisanal scale and craft approach.
• Château de Chambert: Historic organic Cahors château producing terroir-driven Malbec with biodynamic practices. Comparable in appellation, scale, and minimal-intervention philosophy to Château du Cèdre.
• Domaine Tempier: Bandol-based family estate with similar artisanal scale, organic-leaning viticulture, and terroir-driven cuvée portfolio including parcellary wines. Comparable craft positioning and minimal-intervention philosophy.
• Mas Amiel: Roussillon natural-wine pioneer focused on Grenache and fortified vin doux naturel with similar minimal-intervention approach and family ownership. Comparable craft positioning and limited-production model.
• Domaine Elian Da Ros: Cahors-based organic Malbec producer at comparable scale where Château du Cèdre's third-generation winemaker Jules Verhaeghe trained. Closest direct comparable in appellation, grape, and minimal-intervention philosophy.
• Clos de Gamots: Cahors Malbec specialist estate with similar family-ownership structure and terroir focus. Direct regional competitor within the same appellation.

Broad incumbents

• Cos d'Estournel: Bordeaux second-growth estate with major biodynamic/organic commitment. Comparable in pioneering sustainable viticulture at premium tier, but operates at materially larger production and global prestige scale.
• Château Pontet-Canet: Fifth-growth Pauillac classified estate that is a biodynamic/organic pioneer at significantly larger scale. Comparable in pioneering sustainable viticulture, but operates at materially larger production and broader distribution.
• Domaine Zind-Humbrecht: Alsace organic/biodynamic pioneer with internationally recognized parcellary wines. Comparable in organic viticulture and terroir-driven single-parcel bottlings, but at significantly larger scale and broader global distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Château du Cèdre