The Bastion,
a 15th-Century Aerial Cellar

Monumental. This centuries-old watchtower is one of the five bastions still standing from Beaune’s former fortified city, and is thus listed as part of the city’s heritage. In the English-style garden surrounding it, visitors can even discover remnants of the Dukes of Burgundy’s ramparts.

Although designed by the architects of Louis XI, its construction was completed during the reign of François I, as evidenced by the stone Salamander found at the foot of the tower. The Bastion appeared among the list of national properties up until the French Revolution, by which time over 100,000 bottles already lay in slumber within its walls.

First nicknamed the “Tour des Filles” (“Tower of the Girls”), in reference to the “filles de joie” living nearby, it was later renamed the “Bastion de l’Oratoire” after the chapel standing next to it.

Beyond its history, which gives it a unique soul, the Bastion plays a vital role in our winemaking: it is the ideal setting for ageing our wines. Its eight-meter-thick stone walls guarantee constant temperature and humidity, shielding our wines from summer’s heat and winter’s chill.

Nearly 2,000 barrels rest here. The first three levels are dedicated to the ageing of our red Burgundies (each floor housing a different vintage), while the fourth level is reserved for our whites. Finally, on the first level, a wine library hidden behind an intriguing iron gate safeguards the secrets of our oldest bottles…