Château Bernateau

**A Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Château owned and operated with passion for 8 generations by the same family**

Château Bernateau is a winery owned by the Lavau family for at least 8 generations. It covers 8 hectares and it’s located in Saint-Etienne de Lisse, in AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. It is the flag chateau of vineyards Lavau which also includes the Château Tour Peyronneau (AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru), which covers 12 hectaes, and the brand Tertre de Lisse. Currently the properties are managed by Pierrick Lavau and his wife Karine.

Where do the property names come from?

« Bernateau » and « Peyronneau » come from the name of the places where are located the vineyards.

What are you looking for each year when you’re making yours wines?

« Our goal is to please the consumers, so that they enjoy our wines and the terroirs we try to exalt. For that, we make a «haute-couture» style work, in the vine-growing, the extraction and the ageing of the wines, in a perfect respect of the environnement. « (Pierrick Lavau)

What allows us to recognize your wines in a tasting?

vert-de-vin-chateau-bernateau-saint-emilion-grand-cru

Vidéo Fr & En

« At Château Tour Peyronneau we have a clay and gravely soil. The property is located in 3 villages: Saint-Etienne de Lisse, Saint Sulpice de Faleyrens and Libourne. These soils provide us with peppery notes / spicy but also some heat. The wines of this property have often a great sweetness. The attack is quite smooth and the finish is fine, silky. There are 95% of Merlot and 5% of Cabernet Franc. With this wine we try to make a fun wine, a desire for the amateur wine. «

For his tenth vinification at the vineyard, Pierrick Lavau offers us a selection which consists predominantly of Cabernet Franc, 85% and 65%, from very old vines (between 65 and 90 years old). Our Cabernet clones are quite exceptional, they were planted before the big froze of 1954. This cuvée is obtained only by extration by pigeage and it receives the same attention as the Château Bernateau. It also marks the year of the organic certification of the whole vineyard.

Concerning Château Bernateau, it comes from a clay-limestone soil, on hills and plateaux. This is a cooler wine, more concentrated and very mineral. It includes regular lead aromas of red fruits, rhubarb, flowers and toasted aromas. The attack is fresh, silky and it evolves in power. Final was an explosion of flavors and mineral hints.

We use mainly Burgundian barrels because I think they give us more balance and preserves well the fruit. » (Pierrick Lavau)

Focus on Pierrick Lavau, owner of Château Bernateau and Château Tour Peyronneau

vert-de-vin-chateau-bernateau-saint-emilion-grand-cru-15 » Since childhood I wanted to work in the property, however, I started scientific studies of Maths, Physics and Chemistry. As I didn’t want to stay locked in a lab, I shifted to studies in oenology because I liked this compromise between chemistry and vine. This is both the tasting, chemistry grape meetings. After my Master of vine and environment I started working in properties including Château Lascombes and Chateau Reignac. As I got along with my experiences, I became a consultant for the Gaffelière, Tertre Daugay (which is now Quintus) or Reignac which enabled me enrich my expertise quickly as I saw different vineyards. At the same time I worked as a consultant, I also worked to the homestead. I had this dual activity for 5 years then I more or less stopped being a consultant to focus full time on the family property and thus take over my parents.

What I like about this job is that we have a new challenge every year. Every year we do again the same thing but for a different /new result every time. But at the same time there is a logical continuation of the work. It forces us to question ourselves every year that is rewarding.

I love trying different process for example in 2001 I was one of the first experimenting with full wine vinification in barrel but I quickly stopped because it did not satisfy me. I did not think it was a good way for our grapes. « (Pierrick Lavau)

Do you have any long-term projects?

« Yes, develop wine tourism (see below), the marketing of our wines and continue to evolve qualitatively. The terroir of Château Bernateau will deserve to be classified as a Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Emilion… « (Pierrick Lavau)

Side project:

vert-de-vin-chateau-bernateau-saint-emilion-grand-cru-lavau-7 « We work on the reception of persons in property, on the wine tourism. We welcome people all around the year. My wife takes care of all this sector since she arrived on the property 6 months ago. We work a lot on wine tourism. We regularly organize open-days, The Château is often open to the public such as when one is « château du jour » with Saint-Emilion tourist informatiopn center. We had also renovated a room for groups and to organise lunches or dinners. » (Pierrick Lavau)

Tasting notes: (May 2014)

Château Tour Peyronneau – Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – 2010: The nose shows notes of ripe dark berries, violets and spice combined with hints of baking. On the palate is fresh, with a slight acidity. It reveals notes of black fruits (especially plums and figs), spices and slightly more red fruit. A fun wine to taste nice. Rating: 14.5 / 20

For Wine & Food Pairing I suggest a beef « black & bleu ».

Château Bernateau – Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – 2010 : The nose shows aromas of ripe fruit (blackberry, plum, elderberry), spices, cedar and almond. The palate is elegant, fresh, with a good structure, without heaviness and provides specific aromas of black fruit (especially blackcurrant and blackberry) associated with some spices and woody notes. The tannins are fine and well made but still a bit young. The finish is long. I recommend that you wait 2 or 3 years for drinking. Rating : 15/20

Serve it accompanied by a Quail Stuffed with Fresh Figs and Prosciutto.

Tertre de Lisse – Saint-Emilion – 2011: The nose is made notes of very ripe fruit on soft and a light toasted spices. The palate is fresh and fruity with aromas including red fruit (cherry, raspberry …) as well as small woody support from the fruit. The tannins are soft. Rating: 13.5/20

I suggest you open this wine for drink with a recipe of Veal Kidneys Parmentier with Port and Mushrooms.

Château Tour Peyronneau – Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – 2011: The nose is a little closed but marked by black fruits (cassis particular), plum and spice. The mouth is ample, fresh and balanced. The attack is fresh and the middle palate is on the fruit. The finish is a bit tannic, the tannins are well made but a little young. Also the presence of a slight acidity that comes alleviate this final finish. A wine that I suggest you keep another 2 years before drinking. Rating: 14/20

To open for pairing with juicy steakhouse burger.

Château Bernateau – Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – 2011: The nose offers warm notes of spices (especially pepper), of toasty black fruits, slightly more chocolate, and slightly minty notes in the background. The palate is complex, elegant, fruity, well structured and fresh. It reveals specific notes of black fruit (blackcurrant, blackberry, plum) and slightly more red cherry, spice and oak just support including fruit finish. The finish is of good length and fruity. A wine with great potential! Rating: 15.5/20

To drink accompanied by a recipe of juicy steakhouse burger.

Château Tour Peyronneau, sélection Pierrick Lavau – Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – 2012: The nose offers notes of ripe black fruits and small spices (among other clove) and slight cocoa notes. The palate is fruity, fresh, tight and with good structure mainly due to the Cabernet. It contains notes of blackcurrant and cherry. Well done tannins. Good length. Rating: 14.5/20

Serve with a recipe of Pot-roasted pigeons in red wine.

Château Bernateau – Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – 2009: The nose offers notes of warm spices and fruits (bouquet of red and black fruits), flowers and spices. On the palate is fresh. The palate offers a beautiful material, minerality, density and made careful notes of juicy fruit (black cherry, blackberry, plum and slightly more red fruits) associated with some roasted notes, chocolate, of spices and wood. The tannins are soft. A nice wine! Rating: 15.5 / 20