Extensive savoir-faire
Michel Fabre – winemaker
‘I have certainly been no stranger to the sight and smell of the lands and their plants since a very young age.’
Michel Fabre grew up in a family of winemakers and spent his childhood surrounded by the vineyards of the Languedoc region in which he grew up.
‘What drives us is our passion and our desire to bring something different to our craft.’
His love for wine and the vine gave him a taste for discovering new horizons with his travels taking him across the world as far as Argentina and Brazil. Michel even succeeded in planting Petit Verdot in Brazil from vines originating from the iconic Château Mouton Rothschild. Following his experiences abroad, he met Stéphane Derenoncourt who paved the way for his next challenge when Pierre Guénant offered him the chance to return to his beloved Provence, to the lands of Beaulieu.
It was love at first sight for Michel Fabre when he saw Château Beaulieu. He was taken aback by the domaine’s beauty, its landscapes and its unique setting on Provence’s only volcano. He now works as managing director at the domaine and is in charge of the vineyard team. His first challenge was to carry out restructuring works in the vineyards by seeking the optimum balance between the different soil types and varietals. Michel insists on the importance of using only natural products in the vineyards in order to reveal the purest expression of the fruit. He is also very clear with regards to his desire to continue to improve quality at Château Beaulieu and create outstanding Provence wines with a unique profile.
The art of blending
‘Gently working towards our objectives of quality and excellence.’
What sets Château Beaulieu apart is its consistency and homogeneous quality throughout the whole year, as well as the fact that all stages of viticulture and vinification are carried out by our teams. This plays a key role in maintaining the quality of the wines we produce as it is the expertise and experience of our winemakers and their passion for the art of blending that determines the final result.
The soils at the domaine are planted with 8 different varietals, the predominant ones being Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and Cabernet.
Michel Fabre composes with these different varietals in order to bring out the very best in the fruit whilst creating a harmonious profile and a unique Provencal wine characterized by its infinite freshness.
‘Our priorities are freshness and richness on the palate.’
The creation process consists of striking just the right balance between the varietals depending on their environment and the soils in which they are planted: either basaltic or clay-limestone.
‘The finest parcels are selected and blended together to ensure optimum balance. What we are really looking for is a rosé that works well with food.’ Pierre Guénant
