Château de Beru

  • country
  • France
  • region
  • Burgundy, Chablis
  • vineyard area
  • 15 ha
  • Floor
  • lime, clay
  • Grape varieties
  • Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Aligoté, Gamay
  • Management
  • Biodynamic

The de Béru family has resided in their château in the village of Beru, not far from Chablis, for over 400 years now. Until the end of the 19th century and the outbreak of the phylloxera plague, viticulture was the family's only source of income. In 1987, Comte Éric de Béru decided to replant the surrounding vineyards because of his love for wine. Today his wife Laurence and his daughter Áthenais run the winery.

Áthenais, who returned to the family winery from Paris out of her connection to nature, converted it to organic viticulture in 2006. Since 2010, the entire winery has been managed according to the principles of biodynamic agriculture. She takes the entire ecosystem into account and places fruit trees and bushes between the vines to promote the diversity of animals and plants in the vineyards. A rarity in the sea of ​​Chablis vines. The most recent progress was the construction of an innovative wine cellar in 2022, designed according to the Zero Carbon principle to enable sustainable winemaking.

The family business's vineyards extend over 15 hectares of surrounding vineyards, with Clos de Béru standing out as an exclusive monopoly location. The five-hectare plot owes its name to a wall from the 13th century. It is located on the southern hills of the Béru Valley at almost 300 meters above sea level. Only Chardonnay grows here on unique soils made of Kimmeridge limestone, a special mixture of lime and clay from the Upper Jurassic. Athénaïs also relies on variety of grape varieties and cooperates closely with winemakers from neighboring Yonne, who also practice biodynamic viticulture.

In addition to Pinot Noir, their label Athénaïs Vin de France also includes Pinot Gris, Aligoté and Gamay. Together with cellar master Ribe Gaëlle, Chablis are created with their very own signature. It is noteworthy that their wines mature for at least two winters in amphorae, also a rarity in Chablis or wooden barrels, before they are bottled. This means there is little to no need for filler sulfur and the wines remain vibrant. Fining agents, filtration and enrichment are generally avoided. The wines of the Château de Béru are given the necessary time and peace to give the connoisseur long-lasting pleasure in a balanced and natural stability.