Château Beauregard 2020

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. 
 

"Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Beauregard gives up pronounced notes of baked black plums, blackberry pie and black cherry preserves, plus hints of tar, aniseed, tilled loam and chargrill, with a touch of fried herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate offers chewy tannins and soft acidity to support the black berry and savory layers, finishing on a stewed tea note. The tannins should become a lot more polished after barrel aging, but based on this tasting, I've been conservative with my score." Lisa Perotti-Brown, May 2021: Week 3 The Wine Advocate, (05/20/2021) Rating: 90 - 92+

"High levels of Cabernet Franc comes through in waves of fennel, sage, plums, damson, juicy red fruit. This has punch, with wild strawberry, raspberry coulis, edges of tomato leaf. Complex, enjoyable and rather brilliant - this is an upscore from En Primeur. 37hl/ha yields, certified organic for 10 years." Jane Anson, Bordeaux Primeur Week 2020 (12/01/2022) Ratings: 93 Drink: 2025-2040

"Showing beautifully, the 2020 Château Beauregard displays a pure, precise, elegant, medium to full-bodied style that stays compact and focused. Giving up lots of ripe black cherries, blackberries, leafy herbs, graphite, and chalky minerality, it has ripe, finely polished tannins, remarkable purity, and outstanding length. It needs to be forgotten for 4-6 years and, I suspect, will have 20-25 years of overall longevity. It's a pretty, pure, elegant, incredibly impressive Pomerol." Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur, (03/29/2023) Rating: 93+ Drink: 2027-2047

"The 2020 Beauregard was picked from September 8 at 37hl/ha (winemaker Vincent Priou told me that having been organic for almost a decade, the vineyard is very stable in terms of yield). Matured in 45% new oak, it has a very pure and refined bouquet, one of the best that I have found on a Beauregard at this stage. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins, a slightly grainy texture and a spicy undercurrent. Very cohesive and silky-smooth on the finish. This just might be the best Beauregard made to date. Bravo!" Neal Martin, Vinous (May, 2021) Rating: 92-94

''The 2020 Beauregard offers up aromas of rich berries, cherries, licorice and sweet soil tones, followed by a medium to full-bodied, firm and rather extracted palate. There's certainly some substance here, so perhaps time will be kind to it?.'' William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (04/06/2023) Ratings: 89 Drink: 2025-2040