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« A plateau and a delicately sloping hill, with limestone soils and an ideal exposure, has provided the perfect position for our vines to prosper for centuries ».
The estate covers a little less than eight hectares, of which just under seven are planted with vines. The single continuous vineyard is located on one of Saint-Émilion’s most prestigious terroirs. Its south/south-western exposure and steady incline allow the sun to nourish the vines for a significant part of the day. The average age of the vines is between 40 and 50 years, and their roots have grown deep in the sponge-like limestone soil – a natural water regulator. It is this terroir that lends the outstanding quality to the wines, whatever hurdles the vintage may bring.
Beauséjour’s unique vineyard covers three different types of terroir. At the highest point of the estate, where the buildings stand, lies the fossil-rich limestone plateau and its hard soils, which force the vines to extend their roots deep into the ground. The adjacent slopes are made of sand and clay – the famous ‘Fronsac molass’ – a fine soil that is extremely rare within Saint-Émilion. The terroir at the very foot of the estate is comprised of ancient colluvial soils, made of sand and clay deposits from broken down clayey marl.
Here, Merlot rules over all other varieties. Cabernet Franc, increasingly present in the vineyard, brings additional freshness in the context of climate change. Thanks to the soil composition and the age of the vines, Merlot is adapting particularly well to rising temperatures.
Making wine requires patience and perseverance. The harvest is the first step of a metamorphosis that will transform the grape juice into a unique wine - the result of an entire year – often more – of painstaking work…
Far from the grandeur of the neighbouring church, Château Beauséjour’s vat room illustrates magnificence on a smaller scale. A compact yet focused stage for the team’s craft, commensurate with the size of the precious vineyard.
It is here that the grapes see their metamorphosis into wine. Small cement vats, adapted to the intra-parcellar patchwork that comprises Beauséjour’s vineyard, allow optimal vinification conditions to be met, through gravity flow and precise temperature control.
Château Beauséjour’s approach to vinification is a subtle and gentle one. A supple and careful extraction is key to respecting the fruit, and therefore the terroir. Everything centres around selection and care, belief and decisiveness.
