A recent issue of Dandy magazine devoted a long portrait and interview to Monsieur Alain Dominique Perrin.
We met the luxury manager, art enthusiast and of course... winegrower. The reporter, of course, recalled the not-so-distant but definitely bygone days when « ADP » was involved in promoting the Cahors name of origin… Here is the excerpt:
With your personality and your feel for marketing and business, you achieved the emergence of the Cahors name of origin, only to relinquish it today?
Alain-Dominique Perrin: « I have not relinquished the name! Château Lagrezette is still the leading vintage of that name, some are kind enough to say « the great vintage of Cahors »… I directed and loved that name of origin for about ten years, I did everything I could to make it known and make it emerge from obscurity somewhat, bring it into the limelight There were terrific results: the quality and prices of Cahors wines went up. One day I suggested becoming a great vintage, or at least a first-rate vintage, which would have been possible with the new European legislation, but that would have required sacrifices, doing away with some poorly placed vineyards, and they took fright and didn’t go ahead with it. Today they bitterly regret it...
You won’t come back?
Alain-Dominique Perrin: Never! I’m fond of them but it’s over: I dedicated myself to Cahors a great deal, to the detriment of Lagrezette, which I no longer had time to take care of and which had disappeared from the screen to some extent. Now Lagrezette is back on the screen because I’m taking care of it a great deal. And because so is Michel Rolland! We make a very good wine, which is now internationally acknowledged as the best French Malbec, by the Argentineans, the Americans, the British… Today, I’m taking a great deal of care of my wine, I achieve superior quality and I’m reaping the fruits. I gave Cahors all I could give it, they didn’t always jump on the bandwagon when they needed to, especially at the end, and now basta: every man for himself.
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