Château Béard

The Féret of 1868 cites Château Béard as one of the main crus of Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, for an annual production of 20 to 25 tonneaux. The commentary on the commune specifies: “Its soil is more or less similar to that of Saint-Emilion. Its hillsides offer a fertile clay-limestone ground over rocky bedrock. (…) Its wines, similar to those of Saint-Émilion, are generally ranked as second growths; however, in certain years, the best owners have sold them as the first growths of Saint-Émilion”.
In 1929, Château ” de ” Béard appears for 35 tonneaux and the ” Féret ” states: “Its vineyard on the hillside, planted with old vines, in silica-clay soils, produces an exquisite wine, fine in colour, with a rich bouquet, supple, of unequalled keeping quality and much appreciated by gourmets. The owner, Armand Goudichaud, has won numerous awards at both French and foreign exhibitions. ”
Armand Goudichaud still appears 40 years later in the ” Féret ” of 1969. He was succeeded by Robert Goudichaud, then in the 1980s by the latter’s daughters, who sold the property to the Cordonnier family in 2004. François and Étienne Cordonnier, it should be noted, are wine brokers in Belgium and in search of the full expression of the terroir of Château Béard, always seeking natural charm, elegance and balance, without artifice.
If the cru already had many assets : a noble terroir, a well-kept vineyard, vast and well-equipped cellars, they have been reinforced by changes whose benefits have become apparent over time.
A complete geopedological study was carried out to determine the optimal management of each plot in order to express its potential to the full.
Various works have been carried out with a view to improving the quality of production : a sustainable programme of organic and mineral inputs, raising of leaf areas, earthworks, drainage…
Precise work is carried out for each vintage, from the green operations to the sorting of the harvest on a vibrating table.
In the cellar, temperature control has been extended to the vat room in order to improve the quality of the vinifications. The best lots are selected for the first wine, coming mainly from the noblest plots on clay-limestone soils principally, but also pure clay or molasse outcropping on the hillsides.
Enthusiasts appreciate these wines for their finesse and length. Power is not the objective.
To remain faithful to this approach, the owners keep clear of fashions and fads and have adopted this tirade from Cyrano de Bergerac :
”  To dream, to laugh, to pass by, to be alone, to be free,
To have an eye that sees well, a voice that rings,
To wear, whenever one pleases, one’s hat askew,
For a yes, for a no, to fight, or to make a verse !
To work without a care for glory or fortune,
Towards some journey, thought of, to the moon !
To write nothing that does not come from oneself,
And, modest besides, to say : my little one,
Be content with flowers, with fruit, even with leaves,
If it is in your own garden that you pick them ! “