Château Beau-Site Haut-Vignoble was created in 1861 (middle of the Second Empire). At that time, charcoal was transported by oxen. It was with the money from these “cartages” that the first plots of vines were acquired in the commune of Saint-Estèphe and that the construction of the Château, now present on the label, was undertaken.
Three-quarters of the plots are located in areas of deep gravel and deserve the term “High Vineyard”. The remaining quarter provides a happy complementarity with its clay-limestone soils.
Cabernet Sauvignon, star of the Médoc, obviously occupies the largest share of the grape variety (55%). It is particularly suitable for gravel soils which form the framework of wines for laying down.
Merlot (40%), earlier and fruitier, brings suppleness and roundness. To finalize the blend, the Petit Verdot (5%) which excels on particularly draining soils, promotes the aromatic and taste complexity of the wines.
The planting density of the vineyard is high with more than 8600 vines per hectare. This guarantees good competition between the vine stocks, significantly limiting the vigor essential for a quality harvest. In addition, the grape load per vine is thus reduced, favoring the good sanitary condition of the harvest.
The various works implemented during the cultivation of the vine (pruning, leaf stripping, green harvesting, etc.) allow a qualitative optimization of the harvest essential to the success of the vintage. The farm buildings are located in the town of Saint-Estèphe in the hamlet of Saint-Corbian.
Each generation played its part, not only for the property but for the appellation. In 1924, Pierre Braquessac, a wine broker, doubles the area by buying plots located on the hill of Saint-Corbian, a hamlet in the commune of Saint-Estèphe. His son René takes over in 1951 and creates the Saint-Estèphe wine house.
The Château is now run by Jean-Louis Braquessac and his son Pierre, agricultural engineer and oenologist respectively.
The vineyards of the Château now extend over 22 hectares. Acquired over several generations, it is divided into more than twenty plots scattered throughout the commune of Saint-Estèphe, making it very representative of the appellation.
If the wood structure of the vat room betrays the age of the building, the installation is no less modern. Indeed, for more than fifteen years, permanent improvements have been made there.
The vat room is equipped with 16 stainless steel vats which are fully thermo-regulated since 2000. The reception of the harvest was completely redone in 2003 and the estate was equipped with the latest generation of pumps with the aim of respecting the grapes and the wine.
The cellar remains identical to the one it was at the end of the 19th century, semi-buried, which ensures a natural humidity favorable to the aging of the wines. Its capacity is about 400 barrels.