Château Le Pin Beausoleil was acquired by the Hallek family in 2004. The winemaking is done with meticulous attention to even the smallest details. He lives his profession as a doctor and researcher just like his commitment to the winery: with great passion.
During a year of study in Paris, he made deep friendships in France. These resulted in 2003 in the discovery of Château Le Pin Beausoleil, with which Ingrid and Michael Hallek immediately fell in love. They realize that this terroir can produce great wines. Therefore, before buying, they ensure the continued involvement of Stéphane Derenoncourt as a consultant.
As in his main job, where he has made considerable progress in leukemia research with a dynamic team, Michael Hallek is not satisfied with what he has achieved in wine. He has the ambition to make an outstanding wine with the team at Château Le Pin Beausoleil.
Château Le Pin Beausoleil is a real family business. The name of the company “MIVIDA” brings together all the first names of the family: Michael, Ingrid, Vivian and David. In Spanish, “mi vida” means my life: There is no better way to sum up the family’s enthusiasm for this joint project.
Michael Hallek, a professor of medicine, internist, hematologist and oncologist known for his research into fighting leukemia, lives his investment in wine as well as his devotion to medicine with equal passion.
He completes part of his studies in Paris and forges deep friendships in France. These resulted in the discovery of Château Le Pin Beausoleil in 2003, with which Ingrid and Michael Hallek immediately fell in love. Aware that this terroir produces great wines, they secured the continued involvement of Stéphane Derenoncourt as a consultant before purchasing.
Just as he has built a dynamic team of people in his main job that has significantly advanced leukemia research, Michael Hallek is not satisfied with what he has achieved in wine.
Château Le Pin Beausoleil is a true family business. The name of the company “Mivida” brings together all the first names of the family: Michael, Ingrid, Vivian and David. In Spanish, “mi vida” means my life: There is no better way to sum up the family’s enthusiasm for this joint project.
In his first life, Igor was a baker, then a plumber and heating engineer.
He was living in Laon when, after the death of his father-in-law, his mother-in-law asked him to help her manage the 12-hectare family estate. To this end, he trained as a winegrower and worked on the family estate until December 2008. Preferring to “regain his freedom”, he continued his career in the world of wine as a technical manager at a winery in Saint-Emilion. In February 2013, he moved to Château Pin Beausoleil and has since contributed significantly to the positive development of the chateau with his meticulous work and love of natural, organic production methods.
The youngest member of the family is Alaska, a Swiss shepherd who makes sure that everyone is always together and no one approaches unnoticed.
This parcel in an outstanding location is situated on a plateau directly at the Chateau, covers 5.5 ha and is responsible for the backbone, the fine structure of our wines,
This 1 ha parcel lies to the south of the Chateau and, with its Merlot grapes, forms the basis for the Petit Soleil.
This plot of 2 ha is located a few kilometres south of the Chateau in a plot surrounded by forest, in the midst of unspoilt nature. It produces a typical ripe Merlot, which is crucial for the fruitiness of our wines.
Château Le Pin Beausoleil is located about 40 km east of Bordeaux, 8 km south of Saint-Emilion and 1 km south of the Dordogne River. The influence of Perigord, an hour’s drive away, with its culinary delights, is felt as well as the proximity of the Atlantic, with the Bassin d’Arcachon and endless, magnificent beaches. A thousand destinations for relaxation and culinary delights.
Situated above a picturesque valley overlooking the small village of Sain-Vincent de Pertignas, the manor house built in the 15th century exerts an enchanting charm on every visitor.
The vineyards of Château Le Pin Beausoleil are spread over three parcels. The largest with 5.5 hectares is located directly at the Château, the other two in Rauzan (1 hectare) and Mérignas (2 hectares).
Château Le Pin Beausoleil is surrounded by numerous scenic and tourist attractions: the medieval Saint-Emilion, the cultural landscape on the Dordogne, the city of Bordeaux and the beautiful beaches of the Côte d’Argent
The process of wine making takes 3 years. It begins with the work in the vineyard in the first year. After the grape harvest, the wine undergoes alcoholic fermentation and refinement in oak barrels for 12-16 months. Then the wine is re-cultivated in concrete tanks for 4 to 6 months. Finally, the wine is bottled.
We strive for the symbiosis of soil and vine. In doing so, we follow a holistic approach. Cultivation of the soil is carried out by mechanical weeding with the use of hoeing and careful plowing. Nutrients are supplied by natural preparations and compost. Temporary plant covers are sown to provide structure and to loosen the soil.
Interventions on the vine are performed gently and with surgical precision. This includes pruning with attention to sap flow, de-budding, disentangling the vines, and cutting out grapes that are growing too densely. All steps are adapted vine by vine.
The vines are harvested manually by the harvesters and then transported to the Château in small crates. There they are de-stemmed, checked again on a mechanical shaking table and sorted. Only fully intact grapes are transferred directly into the tanks.
The grapes ferment in natural cement tanks from 50 to 80 hl under uniform temperatures. The grapes are vinified parcel by parcel using the native microflora from our vineyards and cellar.
During the maceration of 3 to 4 weeks, “pigeage” is carried out several times a day. During this process, the top layer of the mash is gently pierced and mixed with the grape juice. This allows the gentle extraction of the juices from the intact berries . To increase the complexity of the wines, we take time for this step. By doing so, we accompany the work of nature with simple, precise gestures.
After alcoholic fermentation, the wines are transferred from the fermentation tanks to French oak barrels. In it, they undergo malolactic fermentation and are then stored for another 18 months. We use new and maximum 1 year old barrels of different sizes (225L and 400L) and roasts (intense and light) to support the aromatic brilliance. These steps add additional energy to the wines and support a balanced acidic structure.
The different grape varieties of the different plots are aged in separate barrels. The proportion and type of wood used varies according to the type of wine. When a vintage seems mature to us, we determine the optimal blend and the wine is transferred to cement tanks. In these cement tanks, we let the wine rest for another three to six months allowing to find its harmony. The final recultivation of the wine in tanks also allows cleaning. The final bottling is determined depending on the lunar cycle, when a good balance is reached.
After our arrival at Château Le Pin Beausoleil in 2004, a clear objective emerged to create here, on this beautiful corner of our planet, an outstanding wine, one of the best in the world. After a comprehensive and critical analysis, the foundations of our winemaking philosophy were defined: striving for the highest quality, respect for the terroir and establishing an autonomous balance of ecosystems.
With the addition of Igor Leclere as the new technical manager in 2014, this ecological approach has been greatly reinforced. With the certification as organic wine beginning in the 2021 vintage, an essential intermediate step has been completed. An important milestone was reached with the certification as organic wine from the 2021 vintage. It is our firm will to pass on an ecologically healthy and coherent system of vineyards integrated with nature, with an eye to future generations.
Chateau le Pin Beausoleil is a family-owned winery that practices sustainable viticulture with the aim of producing wines that are among the best in the world. We want to achieve this goal through sustainable work in the vineyard and in the wine cellar that is solely committed to quality.
We strive for the highest quality for every vintage of our vinery, year for year.
Everything in our winemaking is done with passion and commitment.
We produce all our wines with sustainable methods. A unique experience at the wine tasting is our reward for this effort.