In the south of Pomerol, where the plateau gives way to the slope, the lovely 18th century building of Chateau Beauregard stands among vines and landscaped parkland. Beauregard is known for a lighter, more traditional style of Pomerol, though over the last decade the texture and quality of the wine has improved noticeably. The name harks back to the Beauregard family, who laid the estate out in the 17th century, a hundred years before most Pomerol properties got going. After wandering through the vicissitudes of history (Revolution, boom-and-bust, phylloxera, decline) in 1991, Beauregard came into the hands of the bank Credit Foncier, who invested heavily and brought in proper management alongside the consultant Michel Rolland. In 2014, Beauregard changed hands again, being jointly bought by the Moulin family (of Galeries Lafayette) and their friends the Cathiards (who own, among other properties, Smith-Haut-Lafitte). This new era has also seen substantial improvements. Picking dates were pushed back in pursuit of riper tannins, and a comprehensive soil study was carried out to inform viticulture going forward. Viticulture was transitioned to organics.
The vineyard at Beauregard is planted to 66% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc (one of the highest proportions of Cabernet Franc anywhere in Pomerol) and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. The plots around the chateau, at the edge of the plateau on clay and gravel soils, are the best. Towards the bottom of the slope the soils become more sandy, and those plots are used for the second wine, Benjamin de Beauregard. The grand vin is vinified in cement vats, then aged in 60% new oak for 15-20 months. (NT 15/04/26)
