At 420 meters of altitude sits the highest vineyard estate in Belgium. Five kilometers from the French border, an hour and a half drive from Reims, on a terrace of clay over limestone. Mathieu Begthel originally arrived for a quiet year to recover from a long career in hospitality. Three kilometers from his rented house turned out to be a vineyard. One email and a few weeks of volunteer work later, he was running the cellar.
For Sparks episode 15 Mathieu joined to explain how Vignoble de Bellefontaine farms cool-climate viticulture in Wallonia, how Phénix and Pinot Noir come together in a Crémant Rosé, and what a Solaris vertical reveals about the same grape across two completely different seasons.
This episode was recorded in Dutch. Watch on YouTube with auto-translated subtitles via the link above.
Who is Mathieu Begthel
Mathieu was born in the Netherlands, lived a long time in Belgium and worked in hospitality for years. When he had enough of that world he left for Wallonia without a concrete plan. A small house in the countryside, closer to nature, just a year of quiet. The plan did not last weeks.
Three kilometers from his door sat Vignoble de Bellefontaine, run at the time by owner Jérôme Naats. One email, volunteer work in the vineyard, and he rolled into the operation. Today he is maître de chai. He runs sales, manages day-to-day cellar work, makes the wines together with Jérôme, and recently launched his own cuvées with full creative freedom.
What Vignoble de Bellefontaine is
The estate has two plots: about 5 hectares and about 2 hectares, both within 500 meters of the cellar. Planting began in 2015. The flagship is Crémant de Wallonie: a sparkling wine made by méthode traditionnelle and certified AOP. Around it, a wide range:
- Crémant Blanc (annual)
- Crémant Rosé (only in years with a Pinot Noir harvest)
- Still white and red wines
- Rosé from 2025 onwards
- Orange wine
- Ratafia “Petite Pisette”
At full capacity Bellefontaine will produce 40,000 to 45,000 bottles per year. The estate is still in build-up, with 2024 effectively a zero-year due to catastrophic weather during flowering.
Classic and modern side by side
Bellefontaine works with both classic and modern (PIWI / hybrid) grapes. Mathieu prefers the term “modern grapes” over the more clinical “PIWI”. The house mix:
- Classic: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
- Modern: Phénix, Solaris, Cabernet Cortis, Cabernet Dorsa
Phénix delivers large, juicy clusters with serious volume but never crosses 9 percent alcohol, even in a hot summer. Ideal as a freshness vehicle in sparkling blends. Solaris does the opposite: small, concentrated clusters with higher sugar and alcohol.
AOP and méthode traditionnelle
The Crémant de Wallonie AOP demands:
- Minimum 9 months on the lees (Champagne 15)
- Hand-picked grapes
- Second fermentation in bottle (méthode traditionnelle)
The required infrastructure does not pay for itself at Bellefontaine’s scale. A French firm from the Champagne region (Reims is 90 minutes away) handles the physical operations that need specialized machinery. Bellefontaine makes the wines from A to Z on the estate itself. Grapes stay there, base wine matures there, bottles rest there.
Mathieu now experiments with rest time. From the 2022 Crémant vintage, 3,000 bottles still wait for dégorgement, while 8,000 are already disgorged. That extra rest time on cork is, according to recent debates in Champagne, a possible alternative to extra rest time on the lees.
Tasting the Crémant Rosé 2022
72 percent Phénix, 28 percent Pinot Noir. AOP. 9 months on the lees. Vintage, no reserve wine from earlier harvests as in big-house Champagne. Bellefontaine bottles every year as a millésime, because every year is unique.
Pinot Noir got 6 hours of skin maceration for the subtle color. Phénix fermented in stainless and rested 10 months in stainless. Pinot Noir matured a small year in small oak barrels. Assembled, bottled with yeast and sugar, then those 9 months of rest.
The nose lands on young red fruit: raspberry, candy strawberry, brioche, smoky notes from the limestone soil. The palate carries high acidity, white pepper, a long finish, layered complexity. Not the classic “red wine with bubbles”, more something that almost reads as white. Pairs well with tuna tataki and other delicate, mineral-driven dishes. €24 retail.
3,500 bottles produced from 2022, with 500 still waiting for dégorgement. Won the audience prize at the Wijnfestival van de Lage Landen and bronze at the Best Wines of Belgium awards.
Solaris 2022 versus 2023 vertical
Two different bottles, same grape (100 percent Solaris), opposing vintages. For Mathieu, that is the essence of vintage work: not chasing consistency, but letting each year speak.
Solaris 2023 (filtered, cool year)
12.5 percent alcohol. Half a percent boosted via light chaptalization, since the dry profile would have been too thin. Bâtonnage performed for extra structure. 65 percent on barrel, of which 1,600 liters on Belgian oak (long-term dream: everything on Belgian oak). Every 3 months Mathieu transferred sections so each portion spent the same time on each format.
Style: a quieter nose, mysterious, a kind of morning-mist effect. The palate carries the Solaris spice with pineapple and passion fruit, but more restrained than in a hot year. More classic, more accessible, fits well next to Chardonnay drinkers. Strong performer in restaurants in 2025.
Solaris 2022 (unfiltered, hot year)
13.2 to 13.3 percent alcohol naturally. Not filtered, so a slight tingle in the glass. 8 hours of skin maceration. No alcohol adjustment needed.
A tropical journey: passion fruit, pineapple, banana, lemon. More powerful, more wild, more “in your face”. The 2022 sells faster as a sommelier bottle, the 2023 as a crowd pleaser. A small oxidative edge on the finish, almost vin-jaune-like, characteristic of Solaris.
Both cuvées are listed in the Gault & Millau guide. For Mathieu the A and Z of what the grape can do across two seasons.
Couleur Rosé 2023: a personal cuvée
A light red wine that also reads as rosé and as orange. Mathieu made it on his own. Cabernet Cortis (a PIWI grape), 28 days of skin maceration, 4 to 5 months in stainless on coarse lees, then a year in used oak barrel. Evaporation forced him to top up with 2 to 3 percent Solaris, which is now part of the cuvée.
Just 275 bottles produced, 150 sold to a single Flemish wine merchant. The nose lands on ripe strawberry, candied cherry, a faint lactic note and earthy spice. The palate at 11.2 percent alcohol does not feel light because of the body. Tannin, freshness, complexity, almost volcanic in style. Acidity from strawberry through wet leaves to blackcurrant.
Will scale to 1,000 liters in 2025. Pairs well with red-wine territory at the table.
Belgian wine and customs
A standalone explanation for anyone wondering why Belgian wine costs more than French or Italian. Belgium charges over €2 per bottle in customs duty, against 20 to 30 cents in France. Plus all infrastructure is still investment: no neighbors to share machines with, no inherited scale.
The Crémant Blanc retails at €21. The Rosé €24. The Couleur Rosé and Solaris cuvées sit in similar price brackets. Not cheap, but a product not made anywhere else.
What is next
Bellefontaine continues to explore cool-climate winemaking. For 2025 the estate expects a strong harvest after the catastrophic 2024 bloom (one day got a month’s worth of rain). Plans:
- More Couleur Rosé (1,000 liter target in 2025)
- 2024 orange wine in bottle, with 28 days of skin maceration, still tannin-rich
- Ratafia Petite Pisette returning
- Netherlands as first export country (looking for an importer)
At the Wijnfestival van de Lage Landen in August 2025, Bellefontaine is on stage again.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Crémant de Wallonie? A sparkling wine from Wallonia made by méthode traditionnelle, with second fermentation in bottle. AOP-certified, with a minimum of 9 months on the lees (Champagne minimum is 15) and mandatory hand-picked grapes.
What is Phénix? A modern PIWI grape (mildew tolerant) that yields large, juicy clusters with naturally low alcohol (max 9 percent). Ideal as a freshness driver in sparkling blends. Bellefontaine uses Phénix as the main component of the Crémant Rosé.
Why is Belgian wine more expensive than French? Mainly because of the Belgian customs duty at over €2 per bottle versus 20 to 30 cents in France. Plus small scale: no neighbors to share equipment with, no inherited infrastructure.
Does Vignoble de Bellefontaine farm organically? The estate works as naturally as possible with minimal sulfite, no additives and full respect for the terroir. No formal organic certification mentioned.
The bottles in this episode
Vignoble de Bellefontaine Crémant Rosé 2022. 72 percent Phénix, 28 percent Pinot Noir. AOP, 9 months on the lees, méthode traditionnelle. €24.
Vignoble de Bellefontaine Solaris 2023 (filtered). 100 percent Solaris, 12.5 percent alcohol, 65 percent on Belgian oak (1,600L), bâtonnage. Classic style.
Vignoble de Bellefontaine Solaris 2022 (unfiltered). 100 percent Solaris, 13.2 percent natural, 8 hours skin maceration, on barrel. Tropical, powerful style.
Vignoble de Bellefontaine Couleur Rosé 2023. Cabernet Cortis with 2-3 percent Solaris from top-up. 28 days skin maceration, used oak barrel. 275 bottles.
More about Vignoble de Bellefontaine
For importers, restaurants or consumers interested in these wines, contact Mathieu directly through Vignoble de Bellefontaine. The estate is open for vineyard visits and tastings by appointment. You can also find him at the Wijnfestival van de Lage Landen.
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