France, Bordeaux

Unusually for Pomerol, Château Beauregard has a rather fine château built in 1795 that they proudly display on the label. Rather than having a fine view – or beau regard – the estate is named after the Beauregard family who owned it in the 17th Century. Since acquisition by Vignobles-Foncier in 1991 the whole estate has been renovated, and all the Cabernet Sauvignon replaced with more suitable Merlot, and Beauregard has been set on an upward trajectory. The recent (2014) sale of the estate to the Moulin-Houzé family offers optimism for further improvement, not least because at the same time a minority share was taken by the Caithard family whose stewardship Château Smith Haut Lafitte has yielded great results. Sitting just east of the village of Catusseau, Beauregard is practically on the border with Saint Emilion and can boast Cheval Blanc as a near neighbour. The 17.5ha of vineyard are planted with 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc with the best vines being nearer the château on the Pomerol plateau and its more typical clay soil. The average age of the vines is around 35 years.