Description
Enclosed in the Pomerol terroir, the land of Château Bellegrave is cultivated by the Bouldy family, from father to son. Each generation transmits to the next their knowledge and techniques constantly improved. Each parcel of the property is engraved in the family’s memory, with its peculiarities, its requirements, its fragilities. “When I took over the property in 1980, helped by Pascale, my wife, I continued to grow it the old way, it means more work, no chemical fertilizers, no herbicides, natural treatments, because since 2009 I’m converting the domaine into organic farming ” announces Mr. Bouldy.
The property is located southwest of the terroir of Pomerol. The earth is a mixture of pebbles, sands and red clay. The vine must fight to live; for this reason, its roots must fetch water and food deep into the soil. Château Bellegrave cultivates two grape varieties typical of its terroir : MERLOT and CABERNET FRANC. The first brings velvety, suppleness and roundness to the wine, and the second produces fruity aromas, fine tannins and freshness. Well conducted they unite in perfect harmony. At the end of the 90’s, Château Bellegrave revisited the way they work the vine. They started by banning the most dangerous products, then, little by little, banned all synthetic pesticides. In 2009, the estate officially converted to organic farming controlled by ECOCERT.
The mutation will take four full years, the time it takes for the earth to regain its own vital power. In the shade of the cellar, after being harvested by hand, the grapes are sorted on very sophisticated sorting tables. Then lightly crushed berries will ferment and macerate in vats equipped with thermoregulation to control temperatures. Then comes the aging in oak barrels from the Allier region, renewed by a third every year. This very fine grain wood delicately spices the wine without dominating it and accompanies it in its aging process until it is bottled about twenty months later.
