Vignobles Berthier, 2023 Update
There are very few domaines in the Central Vineyards which have a foothold in all of the region’s leading appellations. One that does is Vignobles Berthier; while the wines of the Coteaux du Giennois and Sancerre appellations are perhaps the mainstays of the Berthier brothers’ portfolio, you will also find the wines of Pouilly-Fumé and Menetou-Salon on the tariff sheet here. It therefore makes a good place to start when exploring a new vintage in this region.
I recently met up with Clément Berthier to taste his most recent releases, with a focus on 2022. Before I come to the wines, however, perhaps a little background detail on the domaine is warranted.
The Berthier family can trace their presence in the region back at least six generations, although it was Jean-Marie Berthier who established their first foothold, in Sancerre, with the acquisition of vines during the 1980s. He expanded into Coteaux du Giennois in the late-1990s, and as his vineyard holdings grew he found himself working equally between the two appellations. He was joined by his eldest son Clément in 2012, after his return from working in Oregon, USA. Later that same decade his younger son Florian joined the team, and today it is the two brothers who are responsible for the running of the family business, Florian in the vines and Clément in the cellars.
The domaine has progressed greatly under their direction, the most significant recent development being a conversion to certified organic viticulture, their first vintage as such being 2022.
Right, on with the wines.
