Ever heard of Gérard Dupuy and his wines: Château Beausejour in AOC Puisseguin-St.Emilion, Château Langais, Clos du Moulin in AOC Bergerac? Probably not. Unless, perhaps, you are into organic wines. Because Gérard Dupuy makes organic wines. Or unless you subscribe to the Wine Enthusiast. Because the wines of Gérard Dupuy were very favorably reviewed in the Wine Entusiast recently. Or unless you live in the New York City area. Château Beausejour wines have become available in the New York City area, including at Sherry-Lehmann, Mora's Fine Wine and Spirites and west side broadway.
Gérard Dupuy does not make one of those 500 or so wines that are part of the primeur spectacle in spring every year. No, he belongs to the other 10.000 or so producers that are not in the limelight and that make so called petites châteaux wines. These producers have to struggle against the competition of wines from all over the world, including the New World. In my view, many of these petites châteaux producers offer very good value for the price. Gérard is one of them.
As part of the attempt to offer a broad perspective, the 2017 Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours included a tour, tasting and wine lunch at Château Beauséjour, a petit château producer, before of visit of Château Cheval Blanc, Appellation Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A.
Gérard Dupuy and his partner in life and business Claire were our hosts. We met a passionate, gifted winemaker who makes beautiful wines, and is following biodynamic principles.
We met at Château Beausejour. Gérard Dupuy showed us around in the vineyard and the cellar. Following the tour, we enjoyed a wonderful 3 course luncheon matched with the wines of Gérard Dupuy, in the newly renovated dining area at Château Beausejour that served as the horse barn in the old days. The lunch was prepared by an old friend of Gérard Dupuis, who used to run a fine restaurant in the area and is now doing catering. Following the lunch we drove over to Château Langais, where we took a quick tour and coffee.
The Dupuy Family, Château Beausejour and Château Langais
The Dupuy family has been in the village of Puisseguin since the Middle Ages. Marceau Dupuy, a mediacal doctor and a politician, purchased Château Beauséjour in 1934.
A 19th century castle is in the middle of middle of the estate. Gérard's mother lives there. The stone walls allow the cellar to provide optimum conditions for ageing wines of excellence, with a constant temperature around 13 degrees.
Marceau’s son Alain, upon returning from the war in 1945, took control over Château Beauséjour as well as another family property, Château Langlais.
This second estate, belonging to Alain’s maternal grandfather, is also located in the appellation of Puisseguin St Emilion. The vineyards, 12 hectares in all, lie just east of Chateau Beauséjour and are planted with Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).The castle is a building whose base and towers date from the 14th century. The sister of Henri IV, King of France, stayed there.
Today it is Gerard Dupuy, Alain’s son, who is continuing the family’s rich history in Puisseguin St Emilion. Upon arriving on the scene in 1995 he immediately applied to Ecocert for organic certification in order to validate the work of his father and grandfather before him.
Gerard also expanded his vineyard holding with the purchase of two estates, Clos du Moulin in Bergerac and Domaine de la Grande Courraye in Castillon.
In the Vineyard
The first thing we did after arriving, was to tour the vineyards with Gérard Dupuy. The vineyard area totals 13.5 hectares. Gérard Dupuy told us that the clay and limestone soil of Château Beauséjour is planted with Merlot (73%), Cabernet Franc (22%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%). All grapes are organically grown, certified by Ecocert. “The refusal of chemical treatments at our wineries dates back to their appearance on the market after 1945. We practice the total grass cover. This method allows regulating the ecosystem in a monoculture, while limiting soil erosion. In our vineyards, wild tulips thrive in the vineyard rows in the spring.” The average age of the vines is 40 years.
Alain Dupuy learned the “ancestral” methods of his grandfather for taking care of the vines. Before there was an official doctrine and the accepted term “organic” viticulture there were vignerons who eschewed the use of new chemical products becoming available as options for treating pests and illnesses in the vineyards. It is truly rare today to discover vineyards that have literally never been subjected to any chemical pesticide or herbicide. Stroll through the vineyards at either Beauséjour or Langlais and you will quickly see that there is a complete and harmonious ecosystem in place. In the spring, each year, there are fragile tulips growing among the vines, a clear sign that there is balance and life in the soils.
In the Cellar
Moving on to the cellar, Gérard Dupuy follows the natural wine philosophy: “In the cellar, we use a minimalist approach." All of his wines are made at Château Beauséjour.
The vinification takes place without added products, in compliance with organic farming specifications and indigenous yeasts to maintain the authenticity of the terroir.
Cold maceration, to produce wines with delicate flavors.
Fermentation during 2 to 3 weeks at temperatures below 30°C to preserve fruit flavors and get well-balanced wines.
We finish this first step by a long maceration in order to bring tannins needed for the long ageing of our bottles, 15 years on average.
The vinification takes place without added products, in compliance with organic farming specifications and indigenous yeasts to maintain the authenticity of the terroir. There is never chaptalization nor acidification and nothing is ever added to or removed from the wine.
Ageing of all wines is done in the cellar of Château Beauséjour which is the best place. Indeed, the constant temperature and hydrometric of the cellar allow the wine to bond with the wood gently, for more complexity.
The wine will stay in French oak barrels between 12 and 24 months depending on the vintage.
Gérard Dupuy in the Wine Enthusiast
Recently, the wines of Gérard Dupuy were very favorably rviewed by Roger Voss, the European Editor of the Wine Enthusiast. Congratulations!
Wine Lunch
Lunch was fabulous. We started out with an aperitif.
We then moved to the newly renovated dining area for a wonderful 3-course meal and Gérard Dupuy’s impressive wines.
The menu was prepared by the former Owner and Chef of the Auberge du Village in 33330 Saint Christophe des Bardes. It was excellent. Jane Anson on Auberge du Village in 33330 Saint Christophe des Bardes: “Just the kind of local restaurant you look for – inexpensive, simple and charming - and it’s very popular. The wine list is short, but well chosen (hard not to be when you are surrounded by Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classés) and as keenly priced as the food.”
The Wines Gérard Dupuy Poured
NV Bulles de Beauséjour Brut
2013 Beausejour AOC Bergerac Blanc
Annette Schiller: When I came to Puisseguin in 2012, Gérard offered some oysters and a white wine. I liked the wine and asked, where the wine was from. With a mischievous grin he said: from here. That took me by surprise since he could only produce red wines from his vineyards as far as I knew. Then he explained with his dry humor that he loves oysters and that he simply wants a good wine in his cellar to go with his oysters. So, he bought vineyards in the AOC Bergerac to make his own white wine for his oysters.
2014 Château Beauséjour AOC Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion Cuvée Spéciale
15 months in oak.
Annette Schiller’s notes from a tasting earlier in Washington DC: This wine was the knock off for me. The color in the glass was pitch dark, the nose of dark berries, spices, herbal notes was bewitching. This wine is a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc. On the palate the wine had tension, but at the same time was gloriously harmonious with an endless finish. It was matured for 24 months in new oak and produced with almost no intervention. It was a very authentic wine reflecting at its best what is called ‘terroir’. The grapes came from 80 year old vines, planted in 1936 by Gérard’s grandfather. Harvest was at a very low yield of 30 hl / ha, and only 9,000 btl were produced.
“This is a delicious ripe wine, full of black fruits and with generous tannins. Mint flavors come from the new wood aging and enhance the ripe berry flavors and acidity. Drink this structured wine from 2018.” —The Wine Enthusiast
Wine Enthusiast rated: 91 pts.
Checking the internet, I found this wine being available at Sherry-Lehman, Mora's Fine Wine and Spirits and T. Eward Wines for around US$25.
2012 Château Beauséjour AOC Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion Vieilles Vignes
24 months in oak.
2016 Château Beauséjour AOC Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion Tradition
With no sulfur added.
Line-up of the Lunch Wines
Coffee at Château Langlais
We took the coffee at Château Langlais, where Claire and Gérard live. It is right around the corner from Château Beauséjour where Gérad’s mother still lives.
The Wines of Vignobles Dupuy
Gerard Dupuy produces wine under different labels.
AOC Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion
Château Beauséjour
Château Langlais
AOC Lussac-Saint-Emilion
Château Vieux Moulin Noir
AOC Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux
Domaine de la Grande Courraye
AOC Bergerac
Clos du Moulin (blanc, sec, demi-sec, rouge et rosé)
Les BULLES de Beauséjour, méthode traditionnell
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