Bordeaux is where you’ll find some of the world’s most expensive and sought-after wines, but that doesn’t mean every wine coming from this historic region is expensive or needs to be treated with kid gloves. There are still plenty of small, family-run domaines putting out delicious, honestly made wines at incredibly reasonable prices.

Château Belregard-Figeac is one such estate, and a favorite source of Merlot-based wines from the village of Saint-Émilion. It's the kind of soulful, transparent, and utterly delicious Bordeaux that we dream about. 



Fifth generation vigneron Christophe Pueyo has, since joining the family business in 2010, taken arduous steps to making even better wine: he converted farming to organic; he began replacing small barrels with larger, neutral barrels and foudres from the beloved Austrian cooper Stockinger; and he favors gentler extractions and more natural approaches in both the vines and the cellar.

Of course, all of these improvements mean little if we don’t also take into consideration the terroir. Saint-Émilion and its well-draining, gravelly soils are perfect for Merlot, keeping it fresh and airy, not dense or jammy. It makes up 60% of the blend, imbuing the wine with flavors of plum, blackberry, and spices. Additions of Cabernet Franc (35%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) add notes of cassis, red raspberry, and sweet tobacco.

From the excellent 2018 vintage, this wine is in its ideal drinking window. Thanks to a hot, dry summer, berries were very concentrated with thicker skins; thanks to Christophe Pueyo’s careful vinification, we get a deeply-flavored wine with great sense of place, an elegant structure, and fine tannins. This is a Bordeaux worth aging — but not one that requires it.

Château Belregard-Figeac, Saint-Émilion, 2018 $36.99