Domaine Beausejour

With a newly extended and re-designed chai, Philippe Trotignon and his wife Véronique have some 20 hectares in production. Steadily increasing the proportion of sauvignon, they have now got some 12 hectares of sauvignon that include 1 of the Fié sauvignon rose. The reds are split between just 4 hectares of gamay and a small but growing area of malbec (a sélection massale), and the vines are divided equally between the deep sand beds of Noyers – perfect for adding an immediacy to the sauvignon’s varietal character - and the heavier soils of St Romain, giving wines that marry intensity of aroma with fine depth.

Running his vineyards according to the Terra Vitis rules of Lutte Raisonnée, Philippe is pretty fanatical about controlling yields and achieving maturity with healthy grapes. Having grassed through the vineyards, he prunes long so as not to bunch up the grapes around the vine and de-budding to keep yields down and the grapes healthy. Since 2005 he also de-leafs around the bunches and finally thins the crop if necessary in the summer – all extra work to ensure healthier grapes with higher maturity, lower acidity and more concentration and grip. After pressing in pneumatic press, fermentations are in thermo-regulated stainless steel or stainless steel-lined concrete vats and the wines are kept with their lees held in suspension through a gentle batonnage for as long as possible before racking – reducing the need for sulphur and further adding complexity.