Domaine des Bernardins

Domaine des Bernardins is an historic property that was once owned by Bernardins (Cistercians) monks before winemaking started here in the early 19th Century. Owned by the Castaud-Maurin family, it has been a family estate for six generations.

The youngest active member Romain (Romain’s first baby was born in the summer of 2019) makes the wines whilst his father Andrew Hall and mother Elisabeth Castaud-Maurin manage the cellar and vineyards. Having studied Oenology, a placement at a large co-op in Montpellier taught Romain much about winemaking and about how he would, and wouldn’t, like to do things on the family estate. They have 25 ha of vines of which 90% is Beaumes de Venise or Muscat Beaumes de Venise. 70% of plantings are white but, due to the demand, recent years have seen an increased proportion of red vines planted. No herbicides are used and techniques are as manual and natural as they can be, making their own organic compost. Natural grass cover, bud and leaf removal all help preserve the natural biodiversity of the vineyards. Hand harvesting, temperature control and 24 hour a day monitoring of the vats during vinification ensure perfect balance in the wines. The winery, built 7 years ago, enables all work to be done via gravity ensuring delicate handling of the grapes. Old Muscat à Petis Grains vines produce superbly elegant wines with lots of character, whilst the red Beaumes de Venise is becoming increasingly sought after with a string of positive press mentions.