Domaine Pierre-Louis and Jean-François Bersan

6 centuries of wine passion

Our cellars... Cellars of the 11th century.

Built between the 11th and 13th centuries, our cellars had the distinction of having a double use: vinification and defense.

During the visit, we discovered a succession of vaulted cellars dedicated to wine (press and storage tanks), connected to a labyrinthine network of galleries that originally served the whole of the village underground.

Videos

 vidéo avec Julie Andrieu et ses fameux carnets !

(Find us from the 14th minute)

Our vines... Saint-Bris le Vineux

The vines of St BRIS are planted on the hillsides running along the East banks of the Yonne valley stretching 10 kms south of AUXERRE and 15 kms west Towards CHABLIS. The soil is of a clay and limestone content its formation dates back to the Jurassic period with Portlandien stone on the hilltop and Kimmeridgien on the slopes

There have been vines growing in ST BRIS since the first centuries A.D. cultivated by monks and emperors. It constitutes the most important culture and wealth of the district. The vinegrowing were developed essentially in the 12th century and covered an area of 1100 hectares, with over 450 winegrowers. It was later practically destroyed by the vine decease phylloxera.

Notre village :  Saint-Bris le Vineux

St BRIS LE VINEUX is the most important wine district in the department of the Yonne. The village itself has 1000 resident and covers an area of 3000 hectares, 550 of those is planted with vines. Amongst the 75 winters BERSAN & SONS estate is definitely one of the most famous.

The name of the village, SAINT BRIS, comes from the name of a Christian martyr, Sanctus Priscus (Saint Prix in French), from whom the BERSAN family derived their vineyard’s name. This name remained until the French Revolution and then became SAINT BRIS, then finally SAINT BRIS LE VINEUX at the beginning of this century. In the 14 Th century, a surrounding wall with 17 towers fortified the village. Today only gates remain. There still exists a network of underpasses used by men-at-arms linking the cellars of the houses together, enabling better defence and escape when the village was under attack. The castle in the centre of the village, next to the church, is more recent; it was built in the 18th century. It belongs to the village council and is used as the local primary school.