Winemaker Notes
Organically grown
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Viticulture at Beauregard is organic, as at the sister property Smith Haut Lafitte, but Beauregard only lost about 15% of the crop to mildew. Composed of 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Beauregard develops slowly to reveal a core of blackberry compote, plum preserves and blueberry pie with touches of smoked meats, tobacco, baking spices, yeast extract and fragrant earth. Full, rich, velvety and packed with rich, expressive black fruit preserves, it has plenty of freshness, finishing long and spicy.
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Loads of meaty black cherries, currants, truffle, chocolate, and tobacco emerge from the 2018 Château Beauregard. Full-bodied, it has a round, elegant texture, classic Pomerol finesse, silky tannins, and a great finish. Based on 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc, this pure, balanced, outstanding Pomerol will keep for 15-20 years in cold cellars.
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Decanter
This has a creamy texture, gorgeous rich fruit with touches of caramel. They managed a yield of 34hl/ha even with organic farming in a year when many people lost a lot of fruit. Plum, damson, extremely silky tannins, easy to love. 50% new oak is the classic amount used today, down from around 80% 10 years ago, and the chargrilled effect here is subtly enticing. This is still in barrel right now.
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James Suckling
Aromas of plums and berries with bark and light chili undertones. Medium body with round tannins and pretty balance. From organically grown grapes. Drink in 2023.
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Wine Spectator
Lovely dark plum, warm cassis and boysenberry puree flavors glide through. Very caressing in feel.
Barrel Sample: 90-93
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Wine Enthusiast
Rich in supple Merlot, this wine shows full, ripe black fruits and plenty of solid tannins to balance. Power comes from the concentrated black-plum flavors and rich structure that have come together well. Drink from 2025.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.