Bernard Van Berg

History of Domaine Bernard Van Berg

The story of Domaine Bernard Van Berg begins far from the vines. A renowned Belgian photographer, Bernard Van Berg decided at the turn of the 2000s to change his life to make the wine he had always dreamed of, and settled in Meursault with his wife Judith. The couple took over a small vineyard of approximately two hectares planted with old vines, some of which date back to the 1950s. Rather than chasing prestigious appellations, the winemaker chose to bottle his entire production as Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire, then as Vin de France, as a manifesto against the hierarchy of classifications. His motto sums up his project: to make wine as simply as possible, without compromise on quality.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Bernard Van Berg

The terroirs of Domaine Bernard Van Berg form a mosaic of small plots around Meursault, in Chagny, Puligny-Montrachet and Saint-Aubin. Far from the grands crus, these lieux-dits of the Côte de Beaune rest on clay-limestone soils that the winemaker tends like a kitchen garden. The vines receive obsessive care: horse ploughing, no fertilisers or chemical treatments, and attention paid vine by vine. The estate has been certified in organic farming since the 2008 vintage. Chardonnay, Aligoté, Pinot Noir and Gamay yield extremely low volumes, sometimes below ten hectolitres per hectare, a guarantee of concentration, and certain old vines are trained on stakes.

Winemaking at Domaine Bernard Van Berg

In the cellar, Domaine Bernard Van Berg takes natural winemaking to its furthest conclusion. The grapes, harvested and sorted by hand, are not destemmed, and the whole harvest is crushed by foot. Fermentations are started solely with indigenous yeasts, without chaptalization or acidification, with sulphur additions kept to the essentials. The winemaker takes the wines as they come and ages them exclusively in new oak barrels, an assumed aromatic signature. From this radical approach emerge cuvées of rare aromatic freedom, energetic, mineral and very easy to drink: the whites combine toasted substance and freshness, while the reds unite verticality, crunchy fruit and silky texture.

The cuvées of Domaine Bernard Van Berg

The cuvées of Domaine Bernard Van Berg almost all carry the mention "le vin le plus simplement" and change with each harvest. Here are the main ones, often produced in tiny quantities.

Le Fourneau is a Chardonnay from the lieu-dit Le Fourneau-Sud, in Chagny, planted in 1990. Aged in new barrels, this white unfolds a deeply toasted and brioche-like nose on an ample and rich palate redeemed by a fine upright character.

Les Échalas Blanc, also sold under the name En Busigny Blanc, is born from Chardonnay planted in 1957 at Meursault and trained on tall stakes. More taut and mineral than Le Fourneau, it marries fruit ripeness with chiselled acidity, in a style reminiscent of the great whites of the Côte.

Les Échalas Rouge, also known as En Busigny Rouge, is a Pinot Noir from the same old vines planted in 1957, trained on tall stakes at Meursault. Aged in new barrels, it offers crunchy and silky red fruit, carried by a mineral verticality and a lingering suavity.

Les Gamets celebrates Gamay, from vines planted in 1957 in En Busigny at Meursault and trained on short stakes. This gourmand red seduces with its fine and silky flesh, its notes of bramble and blackcurrant and its spicy freshness.

Les Bergers is a Pinot Noir from the lieu-dit Les Bergeries, in Puligny-Montrachet, from vines planted in 1970. Concentrated without heaviness, it combines complexity, remarkable length and balance, with finely integrated new oak.

Les Gouttes is an Aligoté from the lieu-dit of the same name in Meursault, planted in 1985. Far from the cliché of a sharp little white, this old-vine Aligoté proves complex, vinous and deep, while retaining a refreshing vivacity.

Les Reippes is the estate's other Aligoté, born from a plot in Saint-Aubin at the lieu-dit Les Reippes. More saline and taut, it illustrates the grape variety's ability to express its terroir with great precision in careful hands.

En Busigny Rosé, sometimes called La Rose, is a tiny production of Pinot Noir vinified as a rosé and then aged in new barrels. Its nose evokes grape juice and red fruits, on a slightly tannic, fine and refreshing palate.

Solaire is an exceptional cuvée born from a late harvest of Pinot Noir picked in a state of overripeness. Dry despite its opulence, this singular wine is sometimes reminiscent of a Port on the nose, with a full and rich palate supported by a surprising freshness.

Le Vin de Voile, or vin sous voile, reflects the winemaker's taste for oxidative ageing under a veil of yeasts. Rare and confidential, it seduces with its finesse, its depth and a vivacity that is rarely encountered in this style of wine.

Le Mousseux finally completes this abundant range with a sparkling wine produced in the same natural and minimalist spirit, extending the all-encompassing exploration of an estate that has never ceased to invent its own rules.