Chateau Beauregard Pomerol Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Beauregard Pomerol with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn about the best vintages, wine ratings, the history of the property, the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Beauregard History, Overview

Chateau Beauregard takes its name from the founder of the estate, Bernard Beauregard. The property was created in 1677, making it one of the older estates in the Pomerol appellation.

However, it was likely that most of the estate was not used for producing any wine in those early days. In fact, almost one hundred years later, less than one hectare of vines was planted for the purpose of making wine.

The original chateau, which is one of the few true chateaux in the Pomerol appellation, was seriously damaged in a fire and needed to be rebuilt. That took place in 1745. At the time it was rebuilt, the new chateau was just as grand as many estates in the Left Bank, in size and beauty.

The architect in charge, Victor Leon, was well-known in Bordeaux as he was the designer of the beautiful Grand Theater in Bordeaux. The estate is replete with parkland-type landscaping and in the backyard.

Behind the chateau, it resembles a moat and drawbridge. Chateau Beauregard is clearly one of the most picturesque estates in the Pomerol appellation. It was not only the Bordelaise that was enthralled by the design of Chateau Beauregard, the wealthy, American socialite, Florence Guggenheim constructed a replica of it at her estate in Long Island, New York.

By 1854, Chateau Beauregard was a thriving vineyard with close to 14 hectares under vine. In 1935, Chateau Beauregard sold 5 hectares of vines to Antoine Moueix.

In 1991, Chateau Beauregard passed from family ownership when it was sold to Credit Foncier Bank. In July 2014, Chateau Beauregard was sold to a partnership between the Moulin Family, the owners of the large French chain of Galerie Lafayette stores, and the Cathiard Family, the owners of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in Pessac Leognan.

In 2020, the owners of Chateau Beauregard announced their purchase of the neighboring vineyard, Chateau Petit Village from the AXA Insurance group.

Chateau Beauregard Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 17.5-hectare, Right Bank vineyard of Chateau Beauregard is planted to 66% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. This represents a minor change in the vineyard. Previously, 8% of the vineyard was planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. There was also a portion of Malbec vines planted that has been removed as well. It is the long-term goal of Chateau Beauregard to plant up to 40% Cabernet Franc.

Located not far from Clos du Clocher and Chateau Petit Village, just east of Catusseau, the terroir is a mix of sand, gravel, and clay soils. Their best terroir is located in the parcels to the north, where you find more gravel and clay, with less sand. This is where you find much of their Merlot. The further south you go in the vineyards, you encounter more sand.

You can divide the vineyards into 2 main parts. From there, the vineyard is planted in 34 separate parcels. They have 9 hectares of vines devoted to the first wine, as those vines are on their plateau. The remaining 8 hectares are on flatter soil and are used for the second wine.

The vineyard is planted to a very high density of vines for Pomerol, with 9,250 vines per hectare. On average, the vines are close to 35 years of age. All the work in the vineyards is done using only 100%, organic farming techniques.

To produce the wine of Chateau Beauregard, vinification takes place in 20, temperature-controlled, violin-shaped, cement vats that vary in size. These cement vats replaced their previous line of stainless steel tanks.

This number of different sized vats allows for a parcel by parcel vinification. Interestingly, some parcels with both grape varieties are co-fermented, while other parcels are blended at a later date.

Malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels. The wine is aged in an average of 65% new, French oak barrels for between 18 to 24 months. There is a second wine, Le Benjamin de Beauregard. The production of Chateau Beauregard is close to 5,000 cases of wine per year.

There is another wine produced by the estate which comes from 12 hectares of vines planted in the Lalande de Pomerol appellation, Pavillon Beauregard.

The best vintages of Chateau Beauregard are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2001 and 2000. It should be noted that starting with the 2016 vintage, the wines at Chateau Beauregard have really improved. In fact, 2018 is the best vintage I have tasted yet!

When to Drink Chateau Beauregard, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Beauregard can be enjoyed on the young side with an hour or two of decanting. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

However, I find the wine is usually better with 4-6 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. In the best years, the wine will best between 7 to 15 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Beauregard with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Beauregard is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau Beauregard is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau Beauregard is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and a diverse array of hard and soft cheeses..

Chateau Beauregard is a lighter, traditional style of Pomerol that focuses on red fruits and is best enjoyed in its youth. However, this could change under the direction of the new ownership.

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