Château Beneyt

Identity

Château Beneyt is located in Rions, in the Gironde department. It is owned by Nathalie Vrignaud and Fabien Laborde.

History and philosophy

The history of Château Beneyt began in 1910 with Germaine and Léonce, joined by Henriette and Albert that same year. In 1936, grandfather Jean joined the estate. Jean and Paulette took over the reins in 1945. At that time, wines were sold in bottle, alongside bulk sales to the négociant trade.

In 1976, father Joël took over management. Under his leadership, the vineyard doubled in surface area and a cellar dedicated to vinification, ageing, and storage was built. In 1994, Nathalie and Fabien joined the estate, putting an end to bulk sales to focus entirely on direct sales to consumers. Fabien Laborde, an oenologist, serves as the estate's winemaker, while Nathalie Vrignaud oversees quality, safety, and environmental management. The official handover to Nathalie and Fabien took place in 2018.

Château Beneyt is committed to sustainable practices, certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) and holding the Développement Durable (RSE) label.

Appellations

Château Beneyt produces wines under the Bordeaux Rosé appellation. The estate takes part in the open cellar days (Journées Portes Ouvertes) across the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux region.

Practical information

Château Beneyt regularly participates in the Journées Portes Ouvertes in the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux region.

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

Harvesting for white and rosé wines takes place during the coolest hours of the day, or even at night. For the sweet botrytised wines, picking is carried out by hand in late October, capitalising on the development of noble rot (Botrytis Cinerea) encouraged by the proximity of the Garonne and the Nau rivers, which generate morning mists and humidity followed by afternoon warmth.

The grape varieties for the red wines comprise Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. For the rosé wines, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon are used. Dry white wines are crafted from Sauvignon, while sweet moelleux whites are mainly made from Sauvignon (90%) and Sémillon. Sémillon is the sole grape variety used for the estate's sweet botrytised wine.

Flagship cuvées

Cuvées fruitées

The Cuvées fruitées, notably Rosé de Beneyt, focus on purity of fruit during vinification. These wines are crafted to be generous, crisp, and expressive.

Cuvées Flore and Gaston

Cuvée Flore and Cuvée Gaston offer greater complexity and depth. Their blend and ageing follow the purest Bordeaux traditions.

Cuvées Grande Réserve

The Cuvées Grande Réserve are sourced from the estate's oldest vines. Vinified and aged in new oak barrels, they are crafted for cellaring. In 2019, the Grande Réserve Sauvignon blanc 2019 was highlighted in Terre de Vins magazine with a 17.5/20 score and an editorial favourite distinction ("coup de cœur de la rédaction").

Vinification and ageing

For the Rosé de Beneyt, the Merlot undergoes bleeding (saignée), while Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are processed by direct pressing. Fermentations are carried out at low temperatures, between 14 and 17 °C. The harvest of Sauvignon Blanc and rosé grapes takes place during the coolest hours, often at night.

The Cuvées Grande Réserve are vinified and aged in new oak barrels. The sweet botrytised wine, Cuvée Flore, is likewise aged in oak casks. Harvesting for the sweet wines is done entirely by hand in late October, once noble rot has fully developed.