--- title: "Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan: How to Visit and What to See" description: "Jean-François Bersan and his son Pierre-Louis run a family estate in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, the wine village south of Auxerre." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/domaine-pierre-louis-et-jean-francois-bersan lang: en updated: 2026-10-08 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/domaine-pierre-louis-et-jean-francois-bersan.png --- # Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan > Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan: a father-and-son estate whose wines age in a maze of medieval cellars beneath Saint-Bris-le-Vineux. Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan is in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux (Yonne), 1 h 45 by road (156 km) from Beaune. Opening hours: By appointment only · Guided tour: Free entry · Allow 1 to 1.5 hours · Private driver from Beaune: €390 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Jean-François Bersan and his son Pierre-Louis run a family estate in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, the wine village south of Auxerre. They farm 20 hectares, certified organic since the 2023 harvest, across about ten Burgundy appellations. Their bottles age in vaulted cellars from the 11th to 13th centuries, which they show on free guided visits by appointment. ## Key facts - Type: Wine experiences - Where: Saint-Bris-le-Vineux · Yonne - Location: 120 km north-west of Beaune · Chablis & Auxerrois - Coordinates: 47.7442, 3.6483 - 1 h 45 from Beaune - By appointment only - Allow 1 to 1.5 hours - Nearby: [Saint-Bris](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-bris) - Official website: [domainebersan.com](https://www.domainebersan.com/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 45 · 156 km - €390 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [long-day wine tour, €880](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/long-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 45 by road (156 km), €390 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History The Bersans have been winegrowers in Saint-Bris since 1453. The estate farms 13 hectares of white grapes and 7 of red, on slopes along the east side of the Yonne valley, with Portlandian limestone on the hilltops and Kimmeridgian marl on the slopes. Vines have grown in Saint-Bris since the first centuries AD; by the 19th century they covered nearly 1,100 hectares, worked by 450 growers, before phylloxera struck and many growers turned to cherry orchards. Pierre-Louis joined the domaine in 2009. Step by step he gave up chemical weedkillers for ploughing and natural treatments, and the estate gained organic certification for the 2023 harvest. The wines are made in a modern winery, in stainless steel or in oak for the most promising cuvées, then aged in the village cellars, which were built for both winemaking and defence. The estate produces about 120,000 bottles a year, half of them for export. ## What you will see The guided visit leads through a string of vaulted cellars with old presses, crushers and storage vats, part of a labyrinth of galleries that once linked the cellars beneath the whole village and sheltered the inhabitants during sieges. It ends with a commented tasting of up to six wines, among them Saint-Bris, the only Sauvignon appellation in Burgundy, the rare Saint-Bris Fyé Gris, Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre, Irancy, Chablis and Aligoté. The old-vine Cuvée Marianne is the domaine's selection range. ## Opening hours and tickets - Opening hours: By appointment only - Guided tour: Free entry Checked on 8 October 2026 on [the official site](https://www.domainebersan.com/nous-rendre-visite-pxl-46.html). ## Planning your visit Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The domaine is at 5 rue du Docteur Tardieux in the centre of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, about 10 km south of Auxerre and about 1 hour 35 minutes from Beaune, and pairs well with the Caves Bailly Lapierre nearby. Visits are by appointment only, from Monday to Saturday at 10:30, 14:30 or 16:30, and are free for individuals. Pets are not allowed in the cellars, and only the tasting room is accessible to wheelchair users. ## Did you know? The domaine's Bourgogne Aligoté Cuvée Marianne 2022 was chosen for the Burgundy wine board's Cave de Prestige 2025, a selection of wines that represent Burgundy for a year. ## Around Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan What to combine with Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Saint-Bris](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-bris) (1 km away): Burgundy's Sauvignon village, built over a maze of medieval cellars. - [Irancy](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/irancy) (4 km away): The red wine village of the Yonne, set in a bowl of vines and cherry trees. - [Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/chablis) (14 km away): Burgundy's northern outpost, where Chardonnay grows on fossil-rich limestone above the river Serein. ### Châteaux - [Château Long-Depaquit](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-long-depaquit) (14 km away): An 18th-century château in the heart of Chablis, home of the grand cru La Moutonne. - [Château de Maligny](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-maligny) (16 km away): A castle above the Serein north of Chablis, whose name lives on in the Durup family's wines. - [Château de Béru](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-beru) (19 km away): A family château above the Chablis vineyards, with a rare sundial and moon dial, and biodynamic wines. ### Things to do - [Caves Bailly Lapierre](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/caves-bailly-lapierre) (3 km away): Crémant de Bourgogne aged in vast medieval stone quarries above the river Yonne. - [Site archéologique d’Escolives-Sainte-Camille](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/site-archeologique-escolives-sainte-camille) (4 km away): The baths of a Gallo-Roman villa on the Via Agrippa, built on reused carved stones, with a Merovingian cemetery among the ruins. - [Domaine Borgnat](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/domaine-borgnat-escolives) (4 km away): A family estate and guest house in Escolives, with tastings in stacked 17th-century cellars and wines of Coulanges-la-Vineuse. ### Events - **The weekend before Christmas.** · [Marché du Réveillon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marche-du-reveillon-saint-bris-le-vineux): A Christmas food market held in the medieval cellars beneath Saint-Bris-le-Vineux. (Christmas · Saint-Bris-le-Vineux) - **A weekend in January, close to the feast of Saint Vincent on 22 January.** · [Saint-Vincent de Chitry](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-de-chitry): Chitry honours Saint Vincent with a parade, mulled wine for all and a Sunday of tastings. (Tradition · Chitry) - **Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 May 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Fleurs de Vigne](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fleurs-de-vigne-auxerre): The wine festival of the Yonne, held on the Auxerre quays as the vines come into flower. (Wine festival · Auxerre) - **A long weekend in late August.** · [Rues Barrées](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/rues-barrees-auxerre): Three days of free street theatre, circus and dance in the old streets of Auxerre. (Culture · Auxerre) ## Questions about Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan ### How far is Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan from Beaune? Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan is about 1 h 45 from Beaune by road (156 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €390 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan take? For the visit, allow 1 to 1.5 hours. ### When is Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (domainebersan.com) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Can a private driver take us to Domaine Pierre-Louis et Jean-François Bersan? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Long-day wine tour, €880](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/long-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:bersan): €390 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - - - - --- Canonical page: