With the Cité du Vin – a cultural center for all things wine-related – now open in Bordeaux, France the upcoming Cité de la Gastronomie et du Vin opening in Dijon in 2017, and the first anniversary of the Champagne region’s hillsides, houses and cellars gaining UNESCO World Heritage status, wine lovers visiting France are spoiled for choice this year. AFP Relaxnews has picked a selection of vineyards and wine estates to visit this summer (and we’ll be compiling these for you. The last one was Bollinger). Today, we’re heading to Château de Béru in the Burgundy region.
What’s New this Summer?
Ten minutes from the famous wine town of Chablis, Château de Béru is opening its doors every weekend until August 31. Visitors can enjoy wine tasting at a pop-up wine bar where the estate’s owner, Athénaïs de Béru (below), will be serving up local produce and wines from the estate. Wine buffs can even try what’s known as a “vertical” tasting, sampling different vintages of the same wine. There’ll also be a selection of wines from other nearby estates.
Athénaïs de Béru, owner of Château de Béru © Thierry Malty
It’s the ideal opportunity to take a look inside this French château with its 16th-century sun-and-moon dial, as this Burgundy estate has become one of the jewels of the Chablis wine region. Château de Béru has 15 hectares of vineyards and practices biodynamic wine growing. This family property also enjoys a privileged location, high on a limestone hill. The estate’s soils are unique in the Chablis wine region, at 300 to 400 meters in altitude compared to the usual 200 to 250 meters.
The Estate
The historical Château de Béru estate has been owned by the same family for more than 400 years. In the early 20th century, all of its vines were torn up due to France’s phylloxera epidemic, caused by aphids that attacks vineyards and wine grapes. In 2005, with the help of her mother Laurence, Athénaïs de Béru took over the running of the domain – replanted in the 1980s – determined to of get the best out of the estate’s various plots of land. The Clos de Béru, a four hectare walled vineyard is the jewel in the family’s crown. The chardonnay wines made from grapes from this particular vineyard are renowned for their quality.
Château de Béru also has guest rooms, priced from €125 per night (including breakfast, a tour and a wine-tasting). © Thierry Malty
When Athénaïs de Béru took over the estate, she was keen to give something back to nature. She therefore chose biodynamic wine growing techniques as a governing principle for production. Vines are treated to herbal infusions and essential oils while the workforce fertilize and prune the vines in accordance with moon phases. A flock of sheep is used rather than herbicides and grapes are harvested by hand.
Clos Béru Monopole, one of the estate’s most prestigious wines. © Thierry Malty
The Wines
The various vineyards of the Château de Béru estate give rise to several different wines. The Terroirs de Béru is packed with all the distinct flavors of the Béru estate’s hillside. The Côte aux Prêtres vineyard stands out for its particular location, where vines are highly exposed to the wind. Wines from this plot have characteristically mineral and saline qualities. The estate’s Chablis “L’Orangerie” is made using a barrel-based vinification process and is aged for 18 months. Two of the most prestigious wines from the Béru estate are the Clos Béru Monopole and the Chablis Premier Cru Vaucoupin.
Château de Béru, 32 Grande Rue, 89700 Béru, France
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