Château Béchereau

Identity

Château Béchereau is a winegrowing estate located in the commune of Les Artigues-de-Lussac. The Bertrand family owns the property. Joël Dupas serves as estate manager, and Justine Gravé is noted as the oenologist.

History and philosophy

The estate has been a family property since the mid-19th century. Jean-Michel Bertrand took over in the early 1970s. Today, Chantale and Joël Dupas ensure continuity. The estate's philosophy includes an environmental commitment, notably through the encouragement of the hoopoe bird as a natural ally in the vineyard. Certain vinification methods are also carried out with minimal water and electricity consumption.

Appellations

Château Béchereau produces wines under several appellations, primarily Montagne-Saint-Émilion, Lalande-de-Pomerol, and Bordeaux Supérieur. The parcels intended for the Montagne-Saint-Émilion appellation sit on clay-limestone soils, whereas those in Lalande-de-Pomerol benefit from sandy-clay soils. The parcels in Les Artigues-de-Lussac lie on clay-gravel soils and can produce wines under the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation.

Practical information

Château Béchereau is located at 96, rue des Vignerons, 33570 Les Artigues-de-Lussac. The estate can be contacted by telephone on +33 5 57 24 34 29 or +(33)6 80 75 66 80, and by email at contact@chateaubechereau.com. Direct cellar-door sales and tastings are available on site. The estate does not offer accommodation (holiday cottages or guest rooms).

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The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Béchereau vineyard is spread over various parcels. The estate covers an area of around 2.5 hectares according to some sources, and 5.26 hectares according to others. The soils are clay-limestone in the Montagne-Saint-Émilion sector and sandy-clay in the Lalande-de-Pomerol area. There are also clay-gravel soils in Les Artigues-de-Lussac. The average vine age is approximately 30 years. The main grape variety is Merlot (85%), complemented by Cabernet Franc (10%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). A dedicated part of the vineyard is planted exclusively with Merlot for specific cuvées.

Flagship cuvées

Château Béchereau offers several red wine cuvées. "Cuvée spéciale" (or "Cuvée spéciale Élevé en fût de chêne") is one of its signature bottlings. It is crafted primarily from Merlot, occasionally blended with Cabernet Franc, and aged in oak barrels. "Expression de Béchereau" is another cuvée, sometimes produced as pure Merlot. The "Couleur Malbec" cuvée is a red wine made predominantly from Malbec (82%), with additions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The "Épiphanie" cuvée is distinguished by vinification without sulphites or oenological additives, aged in terracotta jars. "Cuvée Tradition" is also produced in Montagne-Saint-Émilion.

Vinification and ageing

The estate employs diverse vinification and ageing methods suited to each cuvée. For "Cuvée spéciale", ageing takes place in oak barrels for up to one year, with a proportion undergoing integral vinification in barrel (around 15%). Manual punching down (pigeage) is carried out for specific cuvées, such as "Cuvée spéciale" and "Épiphanie". The "Épiphanie" cuvée is vinified without sulphites, exogenous yeasts, enzymes, fining, or pumping, and is aged in terracotta jars. "Cuvée Spéciale Lalande de Pomerol" is aged in stainless steel vats for 18 months, while "Cuvée Tradition Montagne Saint Emilion" is aged for 8 months in stainless steel or concrete vats.