I am in Pomerol, surrounded by a terroir of clay, gravel and sandy soil, with Merlot as the main grape and wines that are rich and supple. Among the most famous producers there are the legendary Petrus and Le Pin. There are also a few lesser known wineries producing excellent wines. One of the oldest estates is Chateau Beauregard, an organic winery that makes use of large cement vats and French barriques for the ageing. They have around 17,5 hectares, made roughly of 70% of Merlot and 30% of Cabernet Franc. Besides their main wine, they produce also a second wine called “Le Benjamin”, which is from the same terroir as the first, but comes from younger vines and is aged less time in oak.
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| The Cements Vats and French Barriques |
Roxane, our guide, shows me around the beautiful ancient chateau, which also has a terrace with a nice view on the vineyards, and let me try two wines: Le Benjamin 2012 and the 2006 Chateau Beauregard (first wine). The 2012 was a relatively difficult year, though early picked merlot did pretty well. The wine shows aromas of red fruits (red cherry and strawberry), liquorice, dark chocolate and sweet spices as cinnamon. Smooth and round. Ready to drink, though can be aged for a few more years. Good quality-price: in the chateau it is sold for 23 euros.
The 2006 was also not an easy vintage in Pomerol because of rain and rot at harvest. However, even for this vintage, earlier harvests led to very good, concentrated and age-worthy wines. This wine has primary notes of ripe black berry and raspberry. Tertiary aromas include tobacco and coffee, with earthy and truffle hints. It pairs very well with grilled meats, such as an entrecote with mushroom sauce. At 38 euros, it offers good value and can evolve for many years, developing more the tertiary aromas.
In a nutshell, this winery is definitely worth a visit. You will find very good organic wines for a good price, which in Bordeaux cannot always be found easily!
