Château Marchand Bellevue: The Joy of Sharing a Glass with Friends

Alain Dufourgest is the winemaker at Château Marchand Bellevue, located in the Entre-deux-Mers region in the town of Targon, where he has been cultivating 33 hectares of vineyards since 2010. Alain comes from a family of winemakers.

Alain Dufourg: “Selling through independent wine shops is much more in line with my work philosophy.”

In 2010, the winemaker set out on his own with his grandfather’s vineyards and breathed new life into the estate: he renamed the château “Marchand Bellevue,” developed new products, and switched distribution channels. “I was working with large retailers, but I wasn’t satisfied with responding to calls for bids from the big chains. The negotiations were solely about price, down to the last cent,” Alain explains. So he decided to turn to independent wine merchants: “I built a network of wine merchants, particularly in Limousin and Auvergne, as these are two regions that aren’t saturated with Bordeaux wines,” the winemaker explains. “Selling through independent wine merchants aligns much more with my work philosophy because we have genuine human relationships.”

ALAIN DUFOURG HAS LEFT THE LARGE-SCALE RETAIL SECTOR AND IS NOW FOCUSING ON INDEPENDENT WINE SHOPS

At the same time, Alain and Sylvie, his partner who joined him at the estate, are expanding their online sales and direct-from-the-estate sales channels: “We started working with Les Grappes, then Sylvie set up a website to grow our online sales. This year, we plan to expand our direct sales at the estate.” A wonderful project that will culminate in the construction of a tasting room at Château Marchand Bellevue.

Château Marchand Bellevue: Red wines from Entre-Deux-Mers.

THE BARRELS USED FOR AGING THE DOLMEN VINTAGE AT CHÂTEAU MARCHAND BELLEVUE

The 33 hectares of vineyards at Château Marchand Bellevue are planted exclusively with red grape varieties. And the reason is quite simple: “I’m not a big fan of dry white wines,” smiles Alain, “and I can only make wines that I love and enjoy.” ” Château Marchand Bellevue is dominated by Merlot, a great Bordeaux grape variety that is also blended with Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot—less common in the Entre-Deux-Mers region, but a favorite of Alain’s. “Petit Verdot is a typical Médoc grape. I really appreciate it in blends because it brings peppery, spicy notes and character to the wine,” says the winemaker.

Our "Coup de Coeur" selections from Domaine Marchand Bellevue:
."Dolmaine" - Bordeaux 2015 - Red
.Château Marchand Bellevue - Red 2015

Marchand Bellevue Castle is making the shift to sustainable agriculture

When Alain took a new direction in 2010, he decided to return to the soil, the land, and nature: “I’ve mellowed and wanted to work in a way that respects the plant.” Today, Alain finds his balance in sustainable agriculture: “I only apply treatments when necessary—if fungal pressure is high or the risks are significant,” he assures us. Thanks to these thoughtful treatments, Alain is able to work with grapes of much higher quality. “The soil is my tool, and I want it to last for a long time. To that end, I strive to produce wines that respect both the environment and the plants.”

Alain Dufourg produces fruity, smooth, and velvety red wines

Alain harvests very ripe grapes. This goal requires constant monitoring of the vineyards throughout September, with careful observation, before giving the go-ahead for the harvest. “Fortunately, I’m able to be very responsive. So I can decide on the harvest date at the very last minute,” the winemaker notes.

Once in the cellar, the grapes are carefully tended in a multi-level winery. “Working with gravity allows me to minimize the crushing of the grapes, thereby preventing damage,” explains Alain.

The grapes are sorted to remove any impurities and ensure only healthy grapes are used. Before fermentation, Alain performs a cold pre-fermentation maceration at 8°C for 3 to 4 days to extract the grapes’ initial fruity notes. At the end of alcoholic fermentation, Alain initiates a second maceration at a warm temperature (35°C) to extract tannins.

ALAIN DUFOURG PRODUCES ONLY RED WINES AT CHÂTEAU MARCHAND BELLEVUE

These choices are carefully considered by Alain, who aims to produce “fruity, enjoyable, and easy-to-drink wines. The wines of Château Marchand Bellevue are full of character; they are flavorful, fruity, and smooth. They have enough tannins to be cellared for a few years.”

Finally, if there’s one watchword in the cellar at Château Marchand Bellevue, it’s hygiene. “In the cellar, I place a very special emphasis on hygiene. In fact, I believe that making good wine requires a lot of water. In my cellar, I demand impeccable hygiene,” says Alain.

Château Marchand Bellevue’s flagship wine: The Dolmen

Only the Dolmen cuvée is aged in new oak barrels for 18 to 20 months. The other cuvées, including Château Marchand Bellevue, are aged in tanks for several months, with monthly racking.

“The Dolmen cuvée isn’t produced every vintage,” says Alain. “I need to have the right quality of wine for it. If a vintage lacks tannins, the oak will overpower the wine. So I prefer not to make cuvées. I make the Dolmen cuvée when I can, because it has to be top-notch.”

Find Château Marchand Bellevue wines here