Château de Viviers
A 17th-century wine château on the high slopes east of Chablis, now farmed organically, with guest rooms.
- Wine château
- 1 h 38 from Beaune
- Hotel and restaurant
- 17th century
€365one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Commune
- Viviers · Yonne
- Style
- Classical (17th century)
- Heritage
- Registered historic monument
- Official website
- chateaudeviviers.co
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 38 by road (144 km), €365 one way for the whole car.
Or add it to our long-day wine tour, €880.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the château
Viviers is a small village east of Chablis, at about 300 metres, roughly 100 metres higher than the town. Its 17th-century château heads a wine estate farmed organically and biodynamically since 2019. The owners, Arnould and Isabelle, also welcome guests in bed and breakfast rooms from spring to autumn.
History
According to the estate, Benedictine monks from the abbey of Saint-Michel in Tonnerre planted vines on the slopes of Viviers at the end of the 12th century. In 1399 the Budé family, notaries to the king, bought the domaine and built a square stronghold as the headquarters of their Burgundy wine trade. In 1628 the château was rebuilt, with the classical stone façade that the château still shows today.
The tourist office names the house as the former home of a musketeer, Deya de La Salle. Shortly before the First World War, phylloxera and gambling debts ended winemaking at Viviers for decades. The vineyard was replanted from the 1980s by Bernard and Brigitte Lefébure, working with Albert Bichot. In October 2019 Arnould and Isabelle took over and converted the estate to organic and biodynamic farming.
Architecture
The château is a sober classical stone building of the 17th century, rebuilt in 1628 on the site of the older stronghold. Its façades and roofs have been listed as a historic monument since 1984. The garden, with lime trees and a stream, has deckchairs for guests. The vines grow on Kimmeridgian slopes rich in fossils, higher and cooler than Chablis itself.
Visiting
Tips for your visit
The château offers bed and breakfast rooms from April to November, with breakfast using honey and fruit from the property. It makes a quiet base for Chablis, Noyers, Tanlay and Ancy-le-Franc. Contact the estate in advance about wine visits. Check the official website for opening times.
Around here
What to combine with Château de Viviers on the same day, nearest first.
Chablis
9 km awaySaint-Bris
21 km awayIrancy
21 km away
- Food & markets
Marché aux truffes de Noyers
An autumn Sunday, usually in late October, sometimes followed by a second market in NovemberNoyers
Questions
Château de Viviers is about 1 h 38 from Beaune by road (144 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €365 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Viviers lies about 100 metres higher than Chablis. Its owners take very low yields, around 12 to 13 hectolitres per hectare in 2020, far below the legal maximum.
Sources
Château de Viviers with a private driver
€365 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests