The Property
Ancestral know‑how
History
The estate was established in 1861, during the Second French Empire. At that time, charcoal was transported using ox-drawn carts. It was with the money earned from these deliveries that our ancestor gradually purchased the first vineyard plots in the commune of Saint-Estèphe and had the château, which now appears on the label, built.
Then in 1924, Pierre BRAQUESSAC, a wine broker, doubled the estate’s size by purchasing plots located on the hill of Saint-Corbian, a hamlet in the commune of Saint-Estèphe.
His son, René Braquessac, succeeded him in 1951. He was the founder of the Saint-Estèphe Wine House.
Today, Château Beau Site Haut Vignoble is run by Jean-Louis Braquessac and his son Pierre, an agronomist and an oenologist respectively.
Vineyards
The vineyards of Château Beau-Site Haut-Vignoble cover an area of 22 hectares.
A particular feature of the estate is that, having been acquired over several generations, it is divided into more than twenty plots scattered throughout the commune of Saint-Estèphe, making it highly representative of the appellation.
Three quarters of the parcels are located on deep gravel soils and rightly deserve the name “Haut-Vignoble.” The remaining quarter, on clay-limestone soils, provides a welcome complementarity.
The grape varieties are typically Médoc:
- Cabernet Sauvignon** (55%), ideally suited to gravel soils, forms the backbone of age-worthy wines.
- Merlot** (40%), earlier-ripening and fruitier, brings suppleness and roundness.
- Petit Verdot** (5%), thriving on well-drained soils, enhances the aromatic and flavor complexity.
The vineyard is planted at a high density, with over 8,600 vines per hectare. This ensures healthy competition between the vines, significantly limiting vigor—an essential factor for producing high-quality fruit. In addition, the reduced grape load per vine favors excellent sanitary conditions of the harvest.
Meticulous vineyard practices (pruning, leaf-thinning, green harvesting, etc.) are carried out to optimize grape quality, which is indispensable for the success of each vintage.
Estate
The estate buildings are located in the commune of Saint-Estèphe, in the hamlet of Saint-Corbian.
The winemaking facilities are separated from the rest of the farm buildings.
While the wooden frame of the vat room reveals the age of the structure, the facilities themselves are thoroughly modern. For more than fifteen years, continuous improvements have been made. The vat room is equipped with 16 stainless steel tanks, all of which have been temperature-controlled since the 2000 vintage. The grape reception area was completely renovated in 2003, and more recently the estate has invested in the latest generation of pumps, with the goal of preserving the integrity of the grapes and, later, the wine.
The barrel cellar, however, remains unchanged from the late 19th century. Semi-underground, it provides naturally regulated humidity that is ideal for aging wines. Its capacity is around 400 barrels.