Bernard family estate in Piolenc making oak aged Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve.
The producer
Château Beauchêne is a Bernard family estate in Piolenc, Vaucluse, in the southern Rhône. The family has been present in Orange since the 17th century, and Michel Bernard and Dominique Verniaud have overseen operations since 1971. The family represents the 10th generation. The entire harvest is bottled at the Château, with HVE certified work that excludes irrigation and uses minimum fertilization. The estate's Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve carries the family name through to the bottle.
Known for
Oak aged Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds
Notable facts
The Bernard family has been present in Orange since the 17th century.
Michel Bernard and Dominique Verniaud have overseen operations since 1971.
The entire harvest is bottled at the Château.
HVE certified practices include no irrigation and minimum fertilization.
The story
Jacques Bernard Buys Vines
In 1794, Jacques Bernard was 18 years old when he purchased 0.8 hectares from the Berviguier family during the sale of national properties that followed the French Revolution. The purchase was the Bernard family's first vineyard acquisition. A tenant farmer gained the legal right to own land, and the transaction placed vines under Bernard ownership in the Orange area. The estate's family history reaches back to that purchase, made during a period when land ownership was changing across France.
From the atlas
Château Beauchêne
Château Beauchêne is a Bernard family estate in Piolenc producing Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Location
Piolenc, Vaucluse
Appellation
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Signature wine
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve
Farming
HVE certified, with no irrigation and minimum fertilization
Bottling
The entire harvest is bottled at the Château
The Producer
The Bernard family's vineyard history begins with Jacques Bernard, who in 1794, at 18, purchased 0.8 hectares from the Berviguier family during the sale of national properties that followed the French Revolution. The family has been present in Orange since the 17th century. Michel Bernard and his wife Dominique Verniaud have overseen operations since 1971, and their daughters Amandine and Estelle have joined the business. The family represents the 10th generation working on the estate.
The entire harvest is bottled at the Château. HVE certified practices include no irrigation and minimum fertilization, keeping the estate's work centred on its own vineyards and cellar.
Place
Piolenc, in Vaucluse, sits at the heart of three major AOCs of the southern Rhône Valley. Château Beauchêne belongs to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, so its Grande Réserve carries a protected place name rather than a broader regional designation.
An AOC links the label to a defined geographic area and its production rules. Here, the place appears directly on the bottle through the Châteauneuf-du-Pape name.
Wines
Château Beauchêne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve is a red wine made from 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre. The vines are 80 to 100 years old. Partial ageing in French oak barrels and demi-muids lasts 12 to 18 months, softening the wine's character and tannins.
In The Glass
Grande Réserve is luminous ruby red. The nose brings ripe red fruit, including blackcurrant and blackberry, with spicy and vanilla notes and a hint of violet. On the palate, the ripe fruit becomes almost stewed, with delicate truffle aromas beside vanilla. The wine is rich, complex and balanced, with well-integrated tannins. Its ageing potential is 15 to 20 years.
A Bottle To Understand It
The bottle to open first is Château Beauchêne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve. The estate's entire harvest is bottled at the Château, and this cuvée places that practice under the family's Châteauneuf-du-Pape name. It is a red appellation wine from the Bernard estate, with the producer's name carried through from vineyard work to the finished bottle.
Final Word
Château Beauchêne is a Bernard family estate in Piolenc whose Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grande Réserve comes from the estate's harvest and is bottled at the Château.