Château de la Bégude

At the foot of the Sainte-Victoire mountain, immortalized by Paul Cezanne, a few kilometers east of Aix-en-Provence, on the sunny hillsides, lies the vineyard of Château de la Bégude, entirely farmed organically.

A family story - Old Templar residence, then Post House under Louis XIV, the Château of La Bégude has belonged to the Rey-Sabatier-Lefebvre family since 1896. Today it is Didier Lefebvre, 5th generation of winegrowers, who has taken over the management of the estate since 2015, bringing his vision of viticulture and winemaking in organic agriculture.

Terroir - The estate benefits from a microclimate (dry and cool continental) and a very privileged terroir (clay-limestone soil composed of red marl). The grapes thus reach full maturity, developing a healthy and generous character. The grape varieties planted are Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rolle-Vermentino, and Ugni Blanc.

Organic farming - The wines of Château de la Bégude obtained organic certification in 2013.
In viticulture, this implies not only the complete absence of synthetic chemicals but also the preservation of living soil. Fertilizers and soil amendments are organic (sheep manure, poultry droppings, beet vinasse, plant ash, for example) and non-chemical in order to preserve the subsoil, the soil, and the vines.
In winemaking, this implies a minimal presence of sulfites (SO2), but a presence nonetheless, for the sake of preservation, particularly for red wines.
The vineyard plots are mostly surrounded by a protective natural barrier (forests, trees, hedges, groves) which promotes habitats for beneficial insects, useful in the fight against pests.

The harvest - The red wines are made exclusively by hand-harvesting, from old vines pruned in goblet style, the oldest plot of which was planted in 1954.
The white and rosé wines are made from grapes harvested at night, destemmed, pressed, and vinified at low temperatures. The vines range in age from 7 to 50 years.

Winemaking – The red wines are unique in that they are vinified with whole bunches of grapes and then aged in old oak barrels (220 liters), demi-muids (600 liters), or foudres (2000 liters and above). Their vinification involves pumping over (the must is drawn up from the bottom of the vat and then brought back up through the top) to homogenize the grape varieties, promote fermentation, and keep the cap of skins moist, as well as a six-day maceration.

Harvesting at night, for the Rosé and the Blanc, helps to preserve the aromas, the freshness, and limit oxidation.

The red wines of the “Château” cuvée are aged for approximately 15 months in old oak casks.
The red wines of the “Rey” and "La Dame de pierre" vintages are aged for approximately 15 months in old demi-muids.
The rosé wines are aged in concrete or stainless steel tanks, and the white wine “Château” in stainless steel tanks.

Guided tours and shop opening by appointment.

On site, sale of patented corkscrew (invented by the owner of the premises) - Lépine competition.