Château Bellevue

Château Bellevue's chartreuse dates back to the 17th century, when the Bellevue fief belonged to the Lacaze family. Louis Horeau, a first cousin of Jean Lacaze, took over the property in 1938; Hubert de Boüard's grandfather had tried but failed to acquire the estate that year. Louis Horeau was succeeded by his son-in-law Jacques Pradel de Lavaux and by René de Coninck. In 2007 the de Coninck family sold its share to Château Angélus, which thus stood alongside the Pradel de Lavaux family. The de Boüard family, owners of Angélus, took a 50% stake. The Angélus team oversaw the vineyard and the cellar from 2007 to 2022. The 2022 Château Angélus was the first to include in its final blend Merlot from what was previously Château Bellevue. Château Bellevue is owned by the Pradel de Lavaux family.

• 17th century: the Bellevue fief belonged to the Lacaze family; the chartreuse dates from this period.
• 1938: Louis Horeau, a first cousin of Jean Lacaze, took over the property; Jacques Pradel de Lavaux and René de Coninck later succeeded him.
• 2007: the de Coninck family sold its share to Château Angélus; the Angélus team oversaw the vineyard and the cellar until 2022. The de Boüard family, owners of Angélus, took a 50% stake.
• 2022: Château Angélus's blend included Merlot from what was previously Château Bellevue for the first time.

The Pradel de Lavaux family owns Château Bellevue. Axel Pradel de Lavaux is the estate's winegrower and its contact at the property. Nicolas Thienpont was appointed to run the estate in 2000, assisted by wine consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt, and the two undertook work to improve drainage and soil maintenance. From 2007 to 2022 the team of Château Angélus oversaw the vineyard and the cellar.

• Owner: the Pradel de Lavaux family; winegrower and contact at the property: Axel Pradel de Lavaux.
• 2000: Nicolas Thienpont appointed to run the estate, assisted by Stéphane Derenoncourt; work to improve drainage and soil maintenance followed.
• 2007 to 2022: the Château Angélus team oversaw the vineyard and the cellar.

The vineyard is a single block that stretches over both slopes and plateau: the eastern, southern and south-western slopes of the Saint-Émilion hill and the plateau. Several Premiers Grands Crus Classés are its close neighbours. When the de Boüard family took its stake, the vineyard covered 6 hectares on clay-limestone slopes surrounded by Angélus, Beau-Séjour-Bécot and Beauséjour. The soils are clay-limestone, and the vineyard is planted solely to Merlot, at a density of 6,000 to 7,500 vines per hectare, with an average vine age of 40 years. The vines are grown traditionally, with a proportion of rows grassed down; de-budding is carried out, followed by green harvests, and the grapes are picked by hand. A park with Mediterranean and Atlantic plant life lies in the heart of the vineyard, and the estate's heritage includes Roman furrows, underground quarries and a 17th-century chartreuse with balustraded terraces.

• A single block on the eastern, southern and south-western slopes of the Saint-Émilion hill and the plateau.
• Clay-limestone soils; 100% Merlot; 6,000 to 7,500 vines per hectare; average vine age 40 years.
• Traditional vine growing with some rows grassed down, de-budding and green harvests; hand harvest.
• A park with Mediterranean and Atlantic plant life sits in the heart of the vineyard.

Fermentation takes place in wooden, concrete and stainless steel vats, all equipped with temperature control, with 2 to 3 weeks on skins. The wines go into barrel straight after they have been run off, and ageing is in new barrels. Maturation lasts 16 to 20 months, and the wine is bottled at the estate. Annual production is approximately 20,000 bottles.

• Wooden, concrete and stainless steel vats, all temperature-controlled; 2 to 3 weeks on skins.
• Into barrel straight after running off; ageing in new barrels for 16 to 20 months.
• Bottled at the estate; approximately 20,000 bottles a year.

The classification of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines has existed since 1955 and is revisable every ten years. In 2006 Bellevue was stripped of its Grand Cru Classé status in that year's edition of the classification. After demoted châteaux took the 2006 edition to a legal battle, the 1996 classification was reinstated. Bellevue was listed as a Grand Cru Classé in the 2012 classification, which named 18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 64 Grands Crus Classés. It was listed again as a Grand Cru Classé in the classification approved by the INAO's national committee on September 8, 2022, which named 14 Premiers Grands Crus Classés and 71 Grands Crus Classés.

• 2006: stripped of Grand Cru Classé status in that year's edition; after a legal battle by demoted châteaux, the 1996 classification was reinstated.
• 2012: listed as a Grand Cru Classé.
• 2022: listed as a Grand Cru Classé in the classification approved by the INAO's national committee on September 8, 2022.

Château Bellevue describes its vineyard as made up solely of the Merlot grape variety, grown traditionally with a proportion of rows grassed down, and its wines as going into barrel straight after they have been run off.

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://chateaubellevue.fr/presentation-en/, https://chateaubellevue.fr/visit/. Secondary sources: INAO (https://www.inao.gouv.fr/en/saint-emilion-grand-cru-classement-next-decade), Conseil des Vins de Saint-Emilion (https://vins-saint-emilion.com/en/castle/chateau-bellevue-2/), Decanter (James Lawther MW, last updated 28 May 2015; Jane Anson, last updated 28 July 2019) and The Drinks Business (Colin Hay, 14 February 2024). Last verified 2026-10-19. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.