We caught up with Ch. Belle-Brise’s owner and winemaker Henri-Bruno de Coincy to find out the secret behind this idiosyncratic Pomerol estate
Ch. Belle-Brise is a rather inconspicuous Bordeaux property with a “garden” vineyard of just two hectares and an annual production of just 800 cases. With such small quantities produced and a legion of loyal followers, the wine is little known outside of an exclusive list of top restaurateurs, a few lucky distributors and their clients.
Henri-Bruno is the 20th generation of the de Coincy family, famous for their Armagnac production that dates back an incredible 700 years. Despite this impressive lineage, Henri-Bruno’s winemaking skills are a much more recent labour of love. Similarly, Ch. Belle-Brise was late to commercial winemaking – an enterprise started by Henri-Bruno when he bought the property in 1991 – despite producing wine since the 18th century.
Owner and winemaker Henri-Bruno de Coincy
Ch. Belle-Brise is often compared to the Grand Crus of Burgundy and has been referred to as the “Musigny of Pomerol”, such is the elegance and weightless power this wine consistently seems to possess. Theories abound about why this is the case. Perhaps it is Henri-Bruno’s Burgundian wife’s influence, or the pre-1956 vines, or small-scale operation? For De Coincy, it is all of the above that makes this little wine of Pomerol so unique.
What is really special about the Belle-Brise vineyard is the age of the
