Growers / France / Bordeaux / Left Bank / Vignobles Pueyo

Vignobles Pueyo

The Pueyo family has been active in the Libournais for generations and has owned Château Belregard-Figeac since 1853.

Christophe Pueyo, the family’s 5th generation took control of the domaine from his father and uncle in 2010, and has since converted the estate to organic viticulture and replaced many of the barriques with demi-muids and foudres (and the occasional amphora). The domaine controls just 16 ha of vines the Bordeaux AOC, with 7.2 ha within the Saint Émilion AOC, and a further 1.5 ha planted to white grapes. The estate produces wines labelled Tellus Vinea, Château Belregard-Figeac, La Fleur Garderose, and Héllebore, Galipette, Achillea and Orchis.

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We have always been proud of our strong selection of small classic Bordelais producers and, at this moment, we feel we have reached a tipping point from our decades of work here, assembling a Bordeaux portfolio that is unrivaled in its quality and personality. The vignobles Pueyo are a keystone part of that revival, and their wines exhibit a purity of fruit and vibrant energy that reminds us of Bordeaux in its mid-century glory.

Farming

Certified organic by Ecocert since 2010, practicing biodynamic since 2017

Treatments

Copper-sulfate only

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to promote soil health

Soils

Saint Émilion wines come from gravel soils near Li- bourne. Bordeaux Rouge wines come from parcels near Juillac/Sainte Radegone with clay, gravel, and limestone soils and sites in Lugon, near Fronsac, with clay and silex/flint soils. The Cu- vée Hellebore Blanc comes from limestone soils near Nérigean

Vines

Average 45 years, planted in Guyot at 5,000 vines/ha

Yields

Old vines naturally moderate yields, no green harvest- ing and no deleafing

Harvest

Saint Émilion wines hand harvested, some Bordeaux wines machine harvested. Harvest lasts September-October

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Following total destemming and a weeklong cold maceration, wines ferment spontaneously in concrete and stainless-steel tanks for 3-4 weeks

Extraction

Some pumpovers, but extraction is kept to a minimum

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Vertical cage press for reds, manual vertical press for Héllebore Blanc

Malolactic Fermentation

Spontaneous, in concrete and stainless-steel tanks

Élevage

Basic Bordeaux wines age in stainless-steel and concrete tanks for c. 12 months. Belregard-Figeac ages in both barrel and tank for c. 18 months. Saint Émilion (La Fleur Garderose) wines age in demi-muids, foudres, and amphorae for c. 18 months. Hellebore Blanc ages in amphora; Hellebore Rouge ages in foudre

lees

Wines rest on their fine lees until bottling

Fining and Filtration

Wines are unfined and unfiltered, except in the rarest cases

sulfur

Extremely limited, applied only at bottling, c. 30 mg/l total, c. 25 mg/l free

Farming

Certified organic by Ecocert since 2010, practicing biodynamic since 2017

Treatments

Copper-sulfate only

Ploughing

Annual ploughing to promote soil health

Soils

Saint Émilion wines come from gravel soils near Libourne. Bordeaux Rouge wines come from parcels near Juillac/Sainte Radegone with clay, gravel, and limestone soils and sites in Lugon, near Fronsac, with clay and silex/flint soils. Hellebore Blanc comes from limestone soils near Nérigean

Vines

Average 45 years, planted in Guyot at 5,000 vines/ha

Yields

Old vines naturally moderate yields, no green harvest- ing and no deleafing

Harvest

Saint Émilion wines hand harvested, some Bordeaux wines machine harvested. Harvest lasts September-October

Sourcing

Entirely estate fruit

Fermentation

Following total destemming and a weeklong cold maceration, wines ferment spontaneously in concrete and stainless-steel tanks for 3-4 weeks

Extraction

Some pumpovers, but extraction is kept to a minimum

Chaptalization

None

Pressing

Vertical cage press for reds, manual vertical press for Héllebore Blanc

Malolactic Fermentation

Spontaneous, in concrete and stainless-steel tanks

Élevage

Basic Bordeaux wines age in stainless-steel and concrete tanks for c. 12 months. Belregard-Figeac ages in both barrel and tank for c. 18 months. Saint Émilion (La Fleur Garderose) wines age in demi-muids, foudres, and amphorae for c. 18 months. Hellebore Blanc ages in amphora; Hellebore Rouge ages in foudre

Lees

Wines rest on their fine lees until bottling

Fining & Filtration

Wines are unfined and unfiltered, except in the rarest cases

Sulfur

Extremely limited, applied only at bottling, c. 30 mg/l total, c. 25 mg/l free

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We have been working with the Pueyo family’s Saint-Emilion, under the moniker Belregard Figeac, since the 1996 vintage as well as their excellent Bordeaux Rouge, Tellus Vinea, since 2002.  Belregard Figeac, always an excellent source of honest and classic right-bank Bordeaux, shows significant improvements since Jacques Pueyo’s son, Christophe, joined the family business in 2010.  As is often done with the new generation, Christophe began making changes at the domaine, converting their vineyards to organic viniculture and making some dramatic changes to the elevage.  Since 2012, Christophe has begun to replace the small barrique in the cellar with neutral demi-muid and foudres, which he buys from the Austrian cooperage Stockinger. Christophe has also instilled a gentler and more natural approach than was the norm with his father and uncle.  The results of these changes have been crystal-clear during our recent tastings.  Today the wines exhibit a purity of fruit and vibrant energy that was not present in the past. Seeing these positive changes, we have found it easy to expand our work with this family.

The cellar work for Château La Fleur Garderose is straightforward. The wines undergo roughly a weeklong cold maceration with little to no pigeage and pumping over. Fermentation, which  is started by natural yeasts,  takes place in concrete tanks over roughly 3 weeks, after which the wines are aged in a combination of barrel sizes  (foudre and demi-muid) for approximately 18 months before they are bottled without filtration.  Very little sulfur – typically about 6 grams – is added to the wine during elevage.  Essentially, Château La Fleur Garderose is a selection of the best vats from the Pueyo cellar.  Both bottlings are the more serious companions to the Belregard Figeac Saint-Emilion and Tellus Vinea. The difference in quality from that of their counterparts is not generally in elevage, but in the quality of fruit.  In the glass, both show a greater structure and concentration, and perhaps will need more time in the bottle to unleash their full potential.

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