A Grand Cru Classé which has the stuff to look higher.
History
At the end of the 18th century, the estate was the property of Count Louis-François de Belcier, a well-to-do from a powerful Bordeaux family. He founded the vineyard at first, then he built a castle there at the beginning of the 19th century. He decided to name it Bellefont, which is the diminutive of Belle Fontaine, in relation to the various water sources present on the estate, in particular on the clay-limestone plateau.
It was at the end of the 19th century that the castle began to become an emblematic castle of the vineyard. Then in the hands of the Faure family, it was during this period that the circular vat room with gravity reception, so singular, was built.
Over the years and owners, the castle continued to progress in the level of Saint-Emilion wines. But it was in 2006 that the castle obtained the coveted grail. Then in the hands of Jacques Berrebi, Alain Laguillaumie and Dominique Hebrard the castle reached the classification of wines of Saint-Emilion.
Since 2017 the estate has been owned by Peter Kwok, a wealthy Taiwanese, owner of Vignobles K. A group within which we can find Château Bellefont-Belcier, but also Château Tour Saint Christophe, Château Haut-Brisson, Château La Patache, Enclos Tourmaline, Enclos de Viaud and Château Le Rey. All these areas are scattered between the appellations of Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Lalande de Pomerol and Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. Peter Kwok appointed Jean-Christophe Meyrou as head of this group. The latter manages it with a master hand, not hesitating to promote the various properties at various fairs or events.
A question of terroir
If there is one essential parameter when talking about a château, it is the terroir and if there is one thing that can be said, it is that Château Bellefont-Belcier is well spoiled. Indeed, it is located on the eastern borders of the Côte de Pavie, one of the most famous hills of the Saint-Emilionnais vineyard. In addition to benefiting from the water supply from the water sources that cross the property, the estate enjoys a rich diversity of soils, which will give each cultivated grape variety a unique expression.
We can notice that there are 3 distinct types of soils. A first which is limestone on the plateau. A second which is clay-limestone at the level of the south coast and to finish a clay-sandy soil on the foot of the coast. This heterogeneity of soils will give the wines a rich and intense aromatic palette.
In total, the château has 13.5 hectares of vines in one piece, with the following grape varieties: 72% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon. The average age of the vines is around 35 years.
An ideal location which makes the château one of the sure values of the vineyard. When harvest time comes, the chateau teams taste the berries parcel by parcel to determine which are ready to be harvested. The selection of the plots is done the day before for the next day so that only the grapes that are at perfect maturity are extracted.
A historic vat room
Once the harvest is over, comes the time for vinification and aging. For this, head to the vat room, that of Château Bellefont-Belcier is one of the jewels of the vineyard.
Built in 1890, this circular gravity cellar is inspired by the Eiffel era. In particular, we can contemplate in the photo the magnificent chandelier made of Baccarat crystal. Here, concrete vats are used for vinification.
Once the sorting on the table is finished, the bunches will be vatted by gravity, that is to say from the top of the vats. This way, the berries will clink together and start letting their juices flow.
The extraction is done by pigeage, a softer technique but very wearisome for the teams.
Once the vinification is finished, comes the time of aging. For this, the wine will rest in two types of containers: in barrels (classic Bordeaux) with a share of 30 to 40% new wood depending on the vintage, the rest being in barrels of 1 to 2 wines, as well as 'in lightning. A container increasingly used in Bordeaux, particularly for its ability to limit the impact of wood on the wine in order to produce a fruitier and less tannic wine.
The aging will last between 15 and 18 months depending on the vintages before being bottled at the property. The castle keeps unsold bottles in its historic cellar.
Almost all the vintages are stored here, kept for historical purposes by the château, even if some are rare or unfortunately missing.
Note that only the most recent vintages are on sale.
Du chai à la chambre, il n’y a qu’un pas
Since 2019, the castle has been offering a very good hotel offer with many top-of-the-range rooms as well as 3 suites. The property offers a lot of services, tennis courts, swimming pool, lounge, there is everything you need to spend an unforgettable stay, in complete peace of mind, in the heart of the vineyards.
