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Buy Wine from Château de Béru
The Béru vineyard, located at the eastern end of the Chablis region, defies the conventions of Burgundian classicism from a setting that seems to be straight out of another time. At an altitude of 300 metres, the ancient Château de Béru, with more than 400 years of history, dominates a series of limestone slopes facing north, east and south, in a sort of geological and climatic microcosm that distinguishes it even within its own appellation. Here, the Kimmeridgian chalk, formed over 150 million years ago in prehistoric seas, rises to the surface with an almost mineral rawness. There is no soft earth or easy soil in Béru. It is all stone, fossil shells and perfect drainage for Chardonnay.
The rebirth under Athénaïs's gaze
Since Athénaïs de Béru took over the management of the family estate, after a life spent away from wine and viticulture, the estate has been an example of the revival that many expect to see in Burgundy: a quiet revolution where tradition is not swept away, but regenerated. It abandoned synthetics, introduced biodynamic principles, stopped filtering wines and eliminated industrial yeasts. What emerged from that turnaround was a collection of deep, austere, sharp, no-make-up wines.
Altitude, wind and tension - Béru's climate
Béru's location, higher and more exposed to the wind than other areas of Chablis, plays a key role. Night-time temperatures drop sharply even in July and August. Spring frosts are more frequent. The grapes ripen more slowly and with greater tension. This gives their Chardonnays an electric energy, chiselled acidity and an almost saline minerality that is more reminiscent of iron or granite than fruit. It is no coincidence that many of his wines need years in bottle to fully open up.
Clos Béru - A walled vineyard with a soul of its own
One of the jewels of the Château de Béru is the Clos Béru, a walled vineyard of about 5 hectares surrounding the château, whose wall was rebuilt stone by stone to restore its original shape. This clos, with its southern exposure and very pure limestone soils, offers an intimate, precise and fiercely singular interpretation of the Chablis terroir. It is not a Grand Cru, it is not classified as such, but in blind tastings it has outperformed several of them with astonishing ease. It is a wine in one piece, unadorned, but with layers of depth that unfold like a chord.
Winemaking without shortcuts
The winemaking approach at Château de Béru is deliberately patient. There are no additions, no corrections, no systematic sulphuration. Fermentations are carried out in old barrels, sometimes for more than a year. The wines are aged on the lees without bâtonnage and bottled without fining or filtering. This is not technical minimalism, but a way of letting the soil speak without intermediaries.
Despite its connection to Burgundian tradition, Château de Béru is far from the golden, gourmand aesthetic of many modern Chardonnays. There are no hints of vanilla or melted butter, no nods to the international market. Instead, there are notes of wet chalk, lemon rind, green apple, oysters and a bitter almond peel finish, like a line drawn with a scalpel. It is not an indulgent wine, but it is magnetic.
Biodiversity and biodynamics lived out
The biodynamic philosophy is not just a detail on the label. It is felt in the way the vineyard breathes. Biodiversity is real: there are sheep grazing among the vines, plant canopies blooming in no apparent order, and a living microbial community beneath the surface. All this forms an ecosystem where the plant does not defend itself, but cooperates with its environment. This interrelationship translates into wines that express not only the climate or the soil, but the pulse of an entire place.
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Buy Wine from Château de Béru
The Béru vineyard, located at the eastern end of the Chablis region, defies the conventions of Burgundian classicism from a setting that seems to be straight out of another time. At an altitude of 300 metres, the ancient Château de Béru, with more than 400 years of history, dominates a series of limestone slopes facing north, east and south, in a sort of geological and climatic microcosm that distinguishes it even within its own appellation. Here, the Kimmeridgian chalk, formed over 150 million years ago in prehistoric seas, rises to the surface with an almost mineral rawness. There is no soft earth or easy soil in Béru. It is all stone, fossil shells and perfect drainage for Chardonnay.
The rebirth under Athénaïs's gaze
Since Athénaïs de Béru took over the management of the family estate, after a life spent away from wine and viticulture, the estate has been an example of the revival that many expect to see in Burgundy: a quiet revolution where tradition is not swept away, but regenerated. It abandoned synthetics, introduced biodynamic principles, stopped filtering wines and eliminated industrial yeasts. What emerged from that turnaround was a collection of deep, austere, sharp, no-make-up wines.
Altitude, wind and tension - Béru's climate
Béru's location, higher and more exposed to the wind than other areas of Chablis, plays a key role. Night-time temperatures drop sharply even in July and August. Spring frosts are more frequent. The grapes ripen more slowly and with greater tension. This gives their Chardonnays an electric energy, chiselled acidity and an almost saline minerality that is more reminiscent of iron or granite than fruit. It is no coincidence that many of his wines need years in bottle to fully open up.
Clos Béru - A walled vineyard with a soul of its own
One of the jewels of the Château de Béru is the Clos Béru, a walled vineyard of about 5 hectares surrounding the château, whose wall was rebuilt stone by stone to restore its original shape. This clos, with its southern exposure and very pure limestone soils, offers an intimate, precise and fiercely singular interpretation of the Chablis terroir. It is not a Grand Cru, it is not classified as such, but in blind tastings it has outperformed several of them with astonishing ease. It is a wine in one piece, unadorned, but with layers of depth that unfold like a chord.
Winemaking without shortcuts
The winemaking approach at Château de Béru is deliberately patient. There are no additions, no corrections, no systematic sulphuration. Fermentations are carried out in old barrels, sometimes for more than a year. The wines are aged on the lees without bâtonnage and bottled without fining or filtering. This is not technical minimalism, but a way of letting the soil speak without intermediaries.
Despite its connection to Burgundian tradition, Château de Béru is far from the golden, gourmand aesthetic of many modern Chardonnays. There are no hints of vanilla or melted butter, no nods to the international market. Instead, there are notes of wet chalk, lemon rind, green apple, oysters and a bitter almond peel finish, like a line drawn with a scalpel. It is not an indulgent wine, but it is magnetic.
Biodiversity and biodynamics lived out
The biodynamic philosophy is not just a detail on the label. It is felt in the way the vineyard breathes. Biodiversity is real: there are sheep grazing among the vines, plant canopies blooming in no apparent order, and a living microbial community beneath the surface. All this forms an ecosystem where the plant does not defend itself, but cooperates with its environment. This interrelationship translates into wines that express not only the climate or the soil, but the pulse of an entire place.