Bergerac 2022

This red Bergerac comes from Château Belingard, in Pomport, in the Dordogne, on the slopes of the left bank of the Dordogne valley, south of Bergerac. The estate has been producing wine there for two centuries. The oceanic climate, softened by the proximity of the river, gives Merlot and the Cabernets consistent ripeness, the key to fruity, balanced wines.

This blend brings together Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, the estate’s four red grape varieties. The vineyard is farmed using environmentally friendly methods, from pruning to harvest, under Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value) certification. The wine is crafted to express delicious fruit and a supple structure, to be enjoyed in its first years.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, cherry, strawberry, plum, blackcurrant, violet, liquorice and pepper. Red and black fruit dominate a fresh, gourmand nose, underlined by a floral and spicy touch. The palate, medium-bodied, is supple and fruity, carried by melted tannins and a fresh finish.

The cradle of wine culture in Western Europe, France owes its first vines to the Greeks of Phocaea, who settled around Marseille some twenty-six centuries ago, before the Romans spread viticulture along the Rhône and the Garonne and as far as Champagne. In the Middle Ages, Cistercian and Benedictine monks cleared the slopes of Burgundy and patiently mapped out the climats, laying the foundations of the notion of terroir. The 19th century brought the glory of the classifications, then the disaster of phylloxera, which wiped out the vineyards before they were rebuilt on American rootstocks; the creation of the appellations d'origine contrôlée in the 1930s then set the rules that would inspire the whole world. Today, France vies every year with Italy and Spain for first place in world production by volume and remains the ultimate benchmark of the Old World, as much for its age-worthy wines as for its winemaking models. Vineyards cover almost the entire country, from the cool north of Champagne and Alsace to the Mediterranean shores of Languedoc and Provence, by way of the oceanic climates of Bordeaux, the Loire and the South-West, continental Burgundy, the steep slopes of the northern Rhône and the high-altitude valleys of Savoie and the Jura. This mosaic of soils – limestone, schist, gravel or rounded pebbles – explains the extraordinary diversity of styles. As for grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate Bordeaux and produce structured reds, Pinot Noir is the signature of Burgundian finesse, Syrah of the depth of the Rhône, while Grenache, Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Mourvèdre cover every register, from easy-drinking wines to wines for long ageing. Among the whites, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin, Riesling and Viognier offer expressions ranging from lively and mineral to unctuous, all the way to great sweet wines. A land of benchmarks and constant discoveries, France remains the compass for wine lovers the world over.