Chateau de Bel is the idyllic estate that houses the visionary project and wines of 'Vins Olivier Cazenave.' Olivier and his wife Anne married in 2003, the same year they embarked on their lifelong dream of buying a rustic piece of property and a home on the picturesque edge of the Dordogne River, with a promise to create an estate and wines that are truly distinct from others. Their commitment to humility and common sense has led them to a place where the wines express their vivacious personality, endless creativity, and pure expression of terroir, all the while being fully dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming since 2016. Starting with just 4.5 hectares, they have expanded over the years by acquiring small neighboring plots, and now farm around 8 hectares of vines, producing about 60,000 bottles annually through their various labels, appellations, and divers projects. Olivier has a deep passion for Muscadelle and aims to expand wine drinkers' palates with this grape, while also showcasing his special ability to allow Merlot and Cabernet Franc to sing in unique and novel ways compared to his regional counterparts. The cellar is compact, the process is meticulous, and the focus is on crafting exceptional yet unpretentious Bordeaux for the world to rediscover anew.
Labels of Echappée Bel rotate within cases (below are exampls of the colors to be enjoyed)
echappée bel blanc
100% muscadelle Echappée Bel Blanc is a young and fresh expression of 100% Muscadelle, which Olivier is extremely passionate about. The fruit is harvested from 40-year-old vines on clay and limestone soils and undergoes a very cold but short maceration to enhance the aromatics and texture of the finished wine. The wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks with a strong fermenting natural pied de cuve from the first grapes harvested, for approximately 15 days, but it does not go through malolactic fermentation. After fermentation, the wine remains on its lees for at least 9 months before bottling. Although it typically comes from a single harvest, the wine is not vintage dated. The resulting wine is crisp, aromatic, and purely mineral, with notes of crisp apples, tangerine, Meyer lemon, and wet rock. In the mouth, the wine has a fresh texture, vibrant lime and green apple flavors, and a stony and lengthy minerality that truly showcases the grape. |
echappée bel rosé
100% merlot The Echappée Bel Rosé is a truly unique rosé, arguably the only one of its kind. Olivier sources Merlot from a trusted farmer who has a plot of Grand Cru vines in St. Emilion specifically for this rosé. The grapes are hand-harvested before the sugars become too high and brought to the cellar for a natural start to fermentation in stainless steel. After only one day, the grapes are pressed, giving the wine a gorgeous kiss of color, and then moved into 6-year-old Allier 600-liter barrels to continue fermenting. The wood imparts interesting aromas and tannins to the finished wine, which completes its fermentation after approximately 15 days. The wine is never vintage dated, which is brilliant because good rosé should be enjoyed for a couple of years and not just immediately after harvest. Although it is always single vintage, there is no obsessing over its "correct" vintage. The aromatics are very pretty, full of soft berries, red plums, a hint of wood, and cherry cordial. Small strawberries explode in the mouth, and the balanced acidity adds to the texture of the wine with a long and delicious finish. |
echappée bel rouge
100% merlot The Echappée Bel Rouge is exactly what red Bordeaux needs to focus on, exciting and fresh examples of the stunning terroir the region has always hung its hat on. This Merlot is from 30-year-old vines that as soon as the fruit is ripe and the acidity levels want to start decreasing, Olivier harvests immediately and brings into the cellar for a natural fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The ferment lasts about 15 days, but only half of that is with the skins still in contact with the juice, giving the wine a fresh style and lighter approach to these lovely grapes. It then rests for at least a year until bottled, but truly waits until the next bottling is needed to fill needs. The aromas are brambly, deep and full of intrigue, with hints of tobacco, plum, black cherry, and mushrooms. The palate leans towards dark and earthy fruit, yet has the juiciest expression of tannins, fresh acidity, and a long, delicious finish. |
semillonnage orange sparkling
100% semillon The Semillonnage Orange Sparkling is a unique expression of 100% Semillon, showcasing the innovation of capturing CO2 during fermentation to create its sparkling character. Originating from 40-year-old vines in mostly clay soil, the wine undergoes natural fermentation in steel tanks with its skins for three full weeks until it is completely dry. While fermenting, Olivier captures all the CO2 emitted and later pumps it back into the wine during bottling, achieving about 4 atmospheres of pressure. This method ensures persistent bubbles and maximizes fruit expression, which Olivier prefers. The result is a vibrant and aromatic wine with a beautiful orange hue. The nose features tangerine, kumquats, and yellow flowers, leading to a delightful and expressive mouthfeel full of vibrant fruits and a spicy finish that dance alongside the bubbles. An exceptional sparkling wine that stands apart in style, both in the mouth and from the way it’s created. |
semillonnage orange atlantique
100% semillon The Semillonnage Orange Atlantique is a stunning display of 100% Semillon that is not very typical in the Bordeaux region. The grapes come from lovely 30-year-old vines that sit in clay and limestone soils and finish at the winery for a natural fermentation in steel tank. The wine ferments on the skins for 3 whole weeks, seeing pump-overs only once every two days in order to keep the cap wet but without aggressively working (think ‘infusion’). The skins are removed (the press is not used for this wine), and the juice then decants naturally over winter in tank before it is ready for bottling with only a light filtration at the end. The result is quite aromatic and textural, with fantastic character to accompany the beautiful orange color. The nose is full of citrus notes, sweet tangerine, and wildflowers, leading to a mouthfeel that is complex and delicate at the same time, with fresh, vibrant fruits and a slightly spicy finish full of lemon peel. |
chateau de bel 'capitane'
100% merlot The ‘Capitane’ is a classic and stunning representation of what Olivier can do with the Merlot grape. Coming from estate vines of about 25 years on clay and limestone soils, the fruit is picked when perfect and brought to the cellar to naturally ferment in both concrete vats and large foudres. The fermentation continues for about three weeks until the juice is pressed off the skins, and then the wine ages in 225-liter and 500-liter used French oak for 18 months before being bottled (with no fining or filtration). This complex and dark red has a gorgeous nose of purple violets, tree ripe plums, rocks, and earthy soil richness. In the mouth, the complexity of black ripe cherries and perfect plums has gorgeous acidity to match the fruit, as well as a mineral quality that complements the tannin structure hinting of the wood aging without significant wood markers. A very well-built wine that has as much depth as it does lift and freshness. |
la veille des landes mont-saint émilion 100% merlot The La Vielle des Lands began as a collaboration between Olivier and Jeff Carrel (a winemaker in Burgundy that consulted for Olivier as he was learning his terroir and diving into biodynamics). As the vintages pass, Jeff’s participation has been able to lessen, and soon his name won’t appear anymore as Olivier has begun to master his own art. Inspired by Burgundy, this wine is all about discovering the terroir of Bordeaux through Merlot; hand-harvest, no wood, only vats. The first ripe fruit comes in, destemmed and crushed, and begins fermentation. Once the rest of the crop has ripe stalks, the best fruit is selected to join in full clusters. 100% Carbonic ensues and when finished, is punched down to reveal this unique expression of Merlot to go and finish aging in tank. The aromatics are gorgeous, with brambly blackberry, lovely ripe cherries and raspberries, stones and black roses. On the palate, the expression is dynamic, explosive with fruit, yet lifted by the minerality of the terroir, and lasts in the mouth with complexity, nuance, and pretty elegance. |
clos du canton des ormeaux pomerol
merlot & cabernet franc Clos du Canton des Ormeaux is an exceptional display of what Merlot can achieve in Pomerol's incredible terroir. Planted in 1987 on a tiny plot of only 0.2 hectares, the vineyard is situated on iron-rich soils of clay and limestone, with a small bit of Cab Franc also present. The grapes are hand-harvested and taken to the cellar for vinification. The wine is naturally fermented in two new 500-liter French barrels for about four weeks before being gently pressed. The wine is stirred and riddled in the barrels during this process, and once returned after pressing, malolactic fermentation continues, and the wine ages for 18 months with light stirring. After bottling, the wine rests for an additional 24 months before release, resulting in an integrated, deep, and remarkably complex wine. Aromas of forest underbrush, cedar, ripe black cherries, and fresh black plums lead to a balanced palate, with the wood showing perfect integration. The wine is dark and rich, but it also has deep layers of earth and minerality that shine through, making it a very serious wine. |
bel en blanc
100% muscadelle The ‘Bel en Blanc’ is a remarkably unique White Bordeaux because it focuses only on Olivier’s favorite of white grapes that are grown in Bordeaux, and quite the opposite of what most people their focus: Muscadelle. He finds that as this grape ages and matures, the nuance and complexity really begin to shine, so this wine is his ‘love-song’ to the grape. 40-year-old vines are hand-harvested in late September (much after Sauv Blanc and Semillon) and brought for natural fermentation in steel tank for only a few days before the must is moved to 400-600-liter demi muids to continue and finish. 30 months of aging takes place before a rough filtering and a small production bottling. The result is gorgeous once released. White flowers, river stones, hints of pineapple, and beautifully integrated wood notes shoot from the glass, and lead to a mouth feel that is textural, wrapping the taste buds like a warm hug, while having a driven and very expressive mineral presence. |
franc de bel
100% cabernet franc (solera style) The ‘Franc de Bel’ is truly a unique expression of Bordeaux, that is likely the only one of its kind. Coming from only Cabernet Franc on clay and limestone soils, these 20+ year old vines are destined to share their existence in the bottle with the same fruit from each harvest, going through a true ‘Solera’ style process. Each year, the fruit averages 2-4 weeks on the skins during natural fermentation before pressing, which takes place in open, 500-liter barrels, that are punched down daily. Once pressed, the juice goes into French Tonneau (2-6 years old) barrels on top of the previous vintage’s remains that follow the yearly botting. This process, called soutirage, means that the wine was aged for at least a single year, as this is a bottling from 2020 where the 2011-2019 vintages were captured. The nose opens incredibly with a bit of time, showcasing licorice, olive, black cherry, and a touch of black pepper. In the mouth, the palate is phenomenal, wanting to attack with fruit and tannin and acid.. but it doesn’t. It is soft, deeply layered, and perfectly integrated, and is a very exciting example of multi-vintage wine. |