Château Beauregard 2018

Château Beauregard is one of the older estates in Pomerol, yet was not a vineyard until roughly the 1850s. The property has some very good neighbors like Clos du Clocher and is gifted with some very beautiful terroir. Of all the estates in Pomerol, Château Beauregard is easily one of the most picturesque.  This striking, elegant, and formidably sized château has captivated the hearts and minds of many, including the wealthy American socialite, Florence Guggenheim who constructed a replica of the building at her estate in Long Island, New York.  Yet Château Beauregard is more than just a pretty face.  In fact, the property has been producing some very impressive expressions of Pomerol of late, and critical acclaim keeps trickling in.  This Right Bank estate is a property that any lover of plush, hedonistic Pomerol should experience.

Château Beauregard was created in 1677 and named after the founder of the estate, Bernard Beauregard.  At the time, the property was not used for producing wine and it would be this way for nearly a century.  In the 1700s, just a small one hectare plot was used to grow vines.  The original château was one of the few true châteaux in the Pomerol appellation but was nearly destroyed in a fire.  The famous architect Victor Leon, who designed the Grand Theater in Bordeaux helped redesign the estate in 1745.  The resplendent property captivated the hearts and minds of many who visited the thriving vineyard in 1854.  The estate was briefly under possession of Antoine Moueix, who is famous for his association with Château Pétrus.  It changed hands a few times until it was under possession of a partnership between the Moulin and Cathiard family.  The Cathiard family is no stranger to the wine industry, for they are owners of the famed property, Château Smith Haut Lafite. 

The 17.5 hectare vineyard is planted with a mixture of Cabernet. Franc, Merlot and, interestingly enough for the Pomerol region, Cabernet Sauvignon.  There used to be a small portion of Malbec thriving in the sandy soils, but that was removed in favor for more Cabernet Franc.  Château Beauregard is hoping to increase their holdings of Cabernet Franc to add concentration and structure to the grand vin, and they are planting more vines with each passing vintage. The terroir hosts a mixture of clay, gravel and sandy soils.  Everything is organically farmed at this estate, and the wines are vinified in strikingly gorgeous cement vats of different sizes.  It is then aged in French oak barrels, with the majority of it having a bit of toast.  This yields a chocolatey quality to the grand vin produced at this estate.  Château Beauregard yields a friendly wine, that is lighter styled and considered a more traditional Pomerol.  The wine is perfect for those who want to enjoy a wine in its youth, and not have to worry about cellaring it for several years.  With a price point of under $100.00, it is considered a great value for the region. 
 

"Viticulture at Beauregard is organic, as at the sister property Smith Haut Lafitte, but Beauregard only lost about 15% of the crop to mildew. Composed of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Beauregard develops slowly to reveal a core of blackberry compote, plum preserves and blueberry pie with touches of smoked meats, tobacco, baking spices, yeast extract and fragrant earth. Full, rich, velvety and packed with rich, expressive black fruit preserves, it has plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, (4/23/2019, Bordeaux 2018 Issue), Rating: 93-95