Vignobles Pueyo

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 Emilion AOC, and a further 1.5 ha planted to white grapes. The estate produces wines labelled Tellus Vinea, Chateau Belregard-Figeac, La Fleur Garderose, and Hellebore, Galipette, Achillea and Orchis.

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.

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.

The cellar work for Chateau 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, Chateau 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.