Chateau Belregard-Figeac Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Country:  France

Region:  Bordeaux

Appelation:  Saint-Emilion

Varietal:  60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot

Christophe Pueyo, the family’s 5th generation took control of the domaine from his father and uncle in 2010, and has since converted the estate to organic viticulture and replaced many of the barriques with demi-muids and foudres (and the occasional amphora). The domaine controls just 16 ha of vines the Bordeaux AOC, with 7.2 ha within the Saint Émilion AOC, and a further 1.5 ha planted to white grapes. The estate produces wines labelled Tellus Vinea, Château Belregard-Figeac, La Fleur Garderose, and Héllebore, Galipette, Achillea and Orchis. 

The Pueyos follow traditional vinification techniques. 25% new barrels and 25% one-year-old barrels are used each year, to avoid overwhelming the fruit; the other half of the cuvée is aged in cement tanks. The composition of this most prestigious wine of the cellar is generally 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is marked by a richly spicy nose with hints of tobacco and coffee in the background; the flavors are dominated by red currant, cassis, and raspberry; the texture is silky and the wine is smooth and generous on the palate; the subtle tannins have grip but are graceful making this wine particularly welcoming over the near term.

Farming:  Certified organic by Ecocert since 2010, practicing biodynamic since 2017

Treatments:  Copper-sulfate only

Soil:  Gravel soils near Libourne. 

Vines:  Average 45 years, planted in Guyot at 5,000 vines/ha

Yields:  Old vines naturally moderate yields, no green harvesting and no deleafing Harvest:  Hand Harvested

Fermentation:  Following total destemming and a weeklong cold maceration, wines ferment spontaneously in concrete and stainless-steel tanks for 3-4 weeks

Extraction:  Some pumpovers, but extraction is kept to a minimum

Chaptalization:  None

Pressing:  Vertical cage press

Malolactic Fermentation:  Spontaneous, in concrete and stainless-steel tanks 

Élevage:  Belregard-Figeac ages in both barrel and tank for 18 months. 

Lees:  Wines rest on their fine lees until bottling

Fining and Filtration:  Unfined and Unfiltered

Sulfur:  Extremely limited, applied only at bottling, c. 30 mg/l total, c. 25 mg/l free