Learn everything about Chateau La Bienfaisance St. Emilion with wine tasting notes, wine, and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles
In 1990, Chateau La Bienfaisance was purchased by its still current owners, which consists of a partnership between the Duval-Fleury and Corneau families. Chateau La Bienfaisance is located in the Fombrauge sector of the Saint Emilion appellation, which is just due east of the St. Emilion village.
Chateau La Bienfaisance Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking
The 10.5-hectare vineyard of Chateau La Bienfaisance is planted to 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The terroir is typical of the St. Emilion appellation with its clay and limestone soils.
The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 5,500 vines per hectare. Replanting of the vineyard is taking place at higher levels of vineyard density than before. On average, the vines are close to 30 years of age.
To produce the wine of Chateau La Bienfaisance, the grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled, oak tanks with a 28-day maceration. Micro-oxygenation is practiced twice, during fermentation and in the aging process. Up to 30% of the production experiences malolactic fermentation in the barrel.
The remainder takes place in vat. The wine is aged on its post-malo lees for the first six months with lees stirring taking place in 30% new, French oak barrels for an average of 15 months.
Chateau La Bienfaisance also produces a special cuvee called Sanctus. Sanctus is made from a Merlot-dominated blend. The Right Bank fruit for Sanctus comes from a specific 3-hectare parcel in their vineyard. The vines are planted in a terroir of clay and limestone mixed with iron deposits in the soil. The vines for this Cuvee are on average 40 years of age.
The best vintages of Chateau La Bienfaisance are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2010, 2009 and 2005.
Slightly more than 4,000 cases of wine are produced at this St. Emilion estate each year. There is a second wine, Peymouton. The property brought in the team of Stephane Derenoncourt as their consultants.
When to Drink Chateau La Bienfaisance, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau La Bienfaisance needs some time before it can be enjoyed. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume
Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment. Chateau La Bienfaisance is usually better with at least 4-6 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau La Bienfaisance offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 5-15 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau La Bienfaisance with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips
Chateau La Bienfaisance is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau La Bienfaisance is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau La Bienfaisance is also good when matched with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta.
Both wines, Sanctus and Chateau La Bienfaisance have been improving in quality since the 2005 vintage. Currently, Chateau La Bienfaisance is spending the money and making all the right choices needed to produce the best Bordeaux wines possible at their estate.
Château la Bienfaisance Wine Tasting Notes
15 Vintages 50,008 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating
2021
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Loads of underbrush along with savory-edged red fruits open the wine in the nose. The palate, is fresh, soft and polished with sweetness and lift to its raspberries and red cherries. This will be quite nice to enjoy on release. Drink from 2024-2034. 362 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2024Take red cherries, strawberries and squeeze some orange juice and flowers you find the perfume. Silky, fresh and vibrant with more of that juicy citrus with red plums on the palate. Drink from 2021-2036. 89-91 1,234 Views Tasted May 20, 2022 |
2020
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Deep ruby in color, the wine offers it floral, licorice and spicy plummy profile easily. Medium-bodied, soft, silky and fruity with a forward approach and a touch of savory herbs on the backend, you can enjoy this on just a year or two after release. 91-93 Pts 2,549 Views Tasted May 27, 2021 |
2019
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Lush, round, silky and soft, with dark red fruits, espresso, licorice and earthy nuances. Plushy textured with loads of ripe, sweet fruits and licorice in the finish, give this a few years and it's going to be very good wine. 91-93 Pts 2,232 Views Tasted Jun 28, 2020 |
2018
Château la Bienfaisance (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Licorice, espresso, smoke, dark red pit fruits fuse nicely on the nose and palate. Soft, silky, medium-bodied and elegant, this will offer its charms early in life. 790 Views Tasted Mar 9, 2021Medium-bodied, elegant soft and forward with a juicy, cherry and licorice profile and a round, supple-textured, plummy finish. 90-92 Pts 1,345 Views Tasted Apr 19, 2019 |
2016
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Smoke, espresso, licorice and ripe juicy plums open the nose. On the palate, the wine is round, plush, sweet, fresh and polished. 2,618 Views Tasted Sep 21, 2019Stony, mineral-driven fruits, salty, earthy tannins, there is richness and depth here, but this is not for early drinking -- the wine will need time to develop. 2,237 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2017 |
2015
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Flowers and black raspberries, this wine is medium bodied with a sweet, red berry, softly-textured finish. 1,998 Views Tasted Apr 29, 2016 |
2014
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
With flowers and black raspberries on the nose, this wine is smooth, elegant and easy to drink due to its fresh cherry-filled character. 88-89 Pts 1,957 Views Tasted Apr 27, 2015 |
2012
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Sanctus reached one of the higher degrees of ripeness in the vintage at 14.37% ABV. Blending the 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc, the wine has silky tannins, sweet, dark red berries and a soft, cherry-filled finish. 90-92 Pts 3,004 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
2012
Château la Bienfaisance (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc produced a wine with coffee bean, fennel and black plums. Soft, forward and round, the wine ends with sweet cherries and strawberry. 89-91 Pts 2,712 Views Tasted Apr 26, 2013 |
2011
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc was aged in 90% new oak to produce plush, round textures with licorice, chocolate and minerality, ending with a bitter chocolate-covered, plum-filled finish. 91-93 Pts 3,012 Views Tasted Apr 24, 2012 |
2010
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
2010 Sanctus de La Bienfaisance opens with stone, spice, licorice, espresso and ripe berries. Soft textured, with minerality and opulent textures, this fleshy and fresh wine will be aged in 90% new oak. 91-93 Pts 6,026 Views Tasted Apr 22, 2011 |
2009
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Sanctus de la Bienfaisance Produced from 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc from a small parcel located in the St. Emilion vineyards of La Bienfaisance, the wine is packed with black licorice, jammy berries, crushed stone, spice and sweet juicy plums. With character and complexity, this 14.8% ABV wine does not show any sensation of heat in the long, mineral driven, licorice and dark berry filled finish. 5,774 Views Tasted Jul 16, 2011 |
2009
Château la Bienfaisance (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Smoke, earth, gravel, jammy berries and anise, soft textures, medium bodied and produced in an early drinking style. 3,291 Views Tasted Jul 18, 2011 |
2008
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
08 Château Sanctus, from clay and limestone soils, achieved good ripeness in this vintage. Blue and black fruits and coffee, along with earthy notes, make up the bouquet, while the palate offers a rich finish. A solid wine for the money. 88-90 Pts 3,839 Views Tasted Jul 1, 2009 |
2005
Château la Bienfaisance Sanctus (St. Émilion Grand Cru)
Licorice, chocolate covered plums, black cherry and espresso scents lead to a rich, round, full bodied St. Emilion. This opulent, showy. Bordeaux wine is just starting to drink well. A few more years will add additional complexity to the chocolate covered, black and blue fruit filled finish. 5,028 Views Tasted Aug 1, 2011 |