Château Belle-Grave is one of the about 7,000 so-called “petits Châteaux” that are outside of the classification system. You can find absolutely fantastic wines from those unknown producers in the range of 5 – 15 Euros.
Owner Xavier Piton greeted us. Sylvain Garoste, Maître de Chai (Cellar Master), was our host
Château Belle-Grave, Appellation Lalande de Pomerol
Château Belle-Grave is a historic domaine that goes back to the 15th century. Since 1938 it belongs to the Theallet family and today it is 3rd generation Xavier Piton who manages the estate. The 42 acres of vineyards are planted with two different varieties: with 88% and the rest with Cabernet Franc (also called “bouchet” in the area).
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, ecologist, filmmaker, and scientist, was a cousin of Xavier’s father Jean Theallet, Cousteau loved the calm of the chateau and enjoyed getting involved with the harvest. The wines of Belles-Graves have therefore travelled the world on board the Calypso, and indeed continue to do so today aboard the Alcyone accompanying the expeditions of the Equipe Cousteau, the team that continues much of the work Jacques-Yves Cousteau started.
History
Vines have been found on the slopes of the area known as Drouilleau since the middle ages, but it was only in the 18th century that the buildings we occupy today were constructed, which then took the name “Domaine de Drouilleau”.
Most of the archives of this long history have almost completely disappeared, principally because of succession and changes of ownership. Only the events of last century and half are clear to us.
A certain M. Alexandre Durand leaves the estate to his wife, who dies without having left a will and with no direct descendents, and it is her great-niece, Isabelle Merlet, wife if M. Gachassin-Lafitte who inherits in 1869. Isabelle Merlet will die in 1880 and her daughter, Gabrielle Gachassin-Lafitte, after negocialtion with the sister, inherits the entirety of the estate in 1887. She dies in 1897, leaving the estate to her husband Léonce Mauze. In April 1909, M. Mauze gives the estate to his three children to share, who sell in November of the same year to M. Elysée Absalon Clerjaud for the sum of 20 000 francs. At this time, the estate is of 10 hectares and constitutes vines, orchards, pastures and kitchen gardens. M. Clerjaud also sells the estate after a few enlargements, on the 10 November 1938 to M. Jean Theallet for 140 000 francs with a total area of 11,18 hectares.
In becoming the property of the Theallet family, who is still the owner today, the estate changes its name to become Chateau Belles-Graves.
Upon the death of Jean Theallet, it is his wife Hermine who continues the business which by this time has grown to 12 hectares. In 1973, she gives her two daughters, Marie-France Theallet and Christine Piton, joint ownership of the estate, whilst continuing management of the business itself.
In 1989, the business is put into the framework of an agricultural concern under the management of Xavier Piton, the grandson of Hermine Theallet, who continues to cultivate the vines and assures the continuation of the business. At the same time, the vineyard is increased in size by 2,5 hectares.
In 1995, the Theallet Piton Trust is created to help protect the heritage of both the winemaking and the families who run the estate. Marie-France Theallet, Christine Piton and her children Xavier Piton, Aurélien Piton and Marie-Aimée Piton are the shareholders.
In 1998, the acquisition of a further 1,75 hectares enlarges the estate further.
In 2000, renovation works begin on the chateau, whose outbuildings and workspaces have become too cramped. The reception and the offices are transferred to the former service quarters. The west wing is restored following serious damage by termites and the chambres d’hôtes are opened there in 2002.
In 2005 the final acquisition of land is made of 0,55 hectares enclosed within the vineyards of the estate which now occupies the whole hillside.
Vineyard
The vineyard spreads over 17 hectares (about 42 acres). It has been planted with two different varieties : Merlot, the most important part with over 88% of the acreage, and Cabernet Franc (also called “bouchet” in the area) for the remaining 12%.
The fields located on the eastern, southern and western slopes around the château have a mixed clay and gravels soil, with huge quantity of iron oxyd in the subsoil, which gives a typical orange rusty color.
Between the château and the road, there is a flat part, very gravely, with mostly flint and quartz, very similar to the Pomerol famous terroir, just across the river Barbanne.
Then forward to the North, we find a sand and silt soil, colder, but still with rich iron oxyd subsoil.
Underground, we find alternately thick drainy layers of stone and sand mixed with red clay, and thin but dense slices of pure blue clay which keep rain water, where the vine will deep its roots during drought periods.
The proximity of the fields, gathered round the château, brings a excellent balance in the wine.
Cellar
In 2018, the old original barrel cellar, in the west wing of the château, as been fully refurbished and turned into a brand new case for a high-tech winery.
In this 18th century building, once a part of the roof totally undone, we entered 9 stainless steel vats, double-skinned for automatic thermoregulation, and equiped with most up-to-date technology.
This new tool offers us outstanding wine-making conditions to go on creating our wines in the greatest respect of our family traditions and our unique terroir.
Tasting
The visit ended with a tasting of the 2014 and the 2015 Château Belles-Graves.
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