Discover Romain Claveille: The Visionary Owner of Château Haut-Bernasse

In his thirties, with an iconoclastic temperament and an insatiable thirst for curiosity, Romain Claveille embodies the dynamic spirit of Château Haut-Bernasse since 2014. After studying environmental management of natural spaces, Romain gradually entered the world of wine when his father-in-law hired him to work in the family business. "After 7 years, I realized I was truly passionate and wanted to write my own story. That's why I embarked on the adventure with Château Haut-Bernasse."

Château Haut-Bernasse: "Breaking the Molds"

As the sole owner of this 14-hectare vineyard (11 hectares of white varieties and 3 hectares of red varieties) in the Bergerac region, Romain has created a domain that reflects his personality. Determined to stand out from his competitors, the young winemaker embraces innovation. "We need to change the codes, catch the eye, and differentiate ourselves to attract new consumers." And with disruption comes innovation. The "Les Oenopotes" cuvée range symbolizes the youthful and modern spirit Romain aims to infuse into his estate. Notably, the "Oenopotes 2014" cuvée is a delicious and fruity red wine from AOC Bergerac, which—true to its name—is meant to be shared with friends.

Within the "Oenopotes" range, Romain also offers an unconventional sweet wine from the Monbazillac appellation. Presented in a Burgundy-style bottle, it contains only 70g of residual sugars, while a wine is considered sweet if it has more than 50g of sugar per liter. "I wanted a delicious, not overly sweet wine that is easy to drink," explains Romain. However, he does not ignore the work of his predecessors and has preserved part of the viticultural heritage of Château Haut-Bernasse, including the high-end vintage 2003 "Jules et Marie Villette" cuvée.

Embracing Oenotourism

Despite running the estate alone, Romain is full of ideas and future projects. His goal is to develop the oenotourism aspect of the estate. "It's challenging to manage everything due to the extensive work involved—vineyard maintenance throughout the year, harvests, winemaking, and selling the cuvées. For now, I organize guided tours of my cellars in partnership with a tourism agency, where I explain my winemaking methods. Of course, my property remains open year-round to clients, whom I welcome in the tasting room. I aim to enhance this customer experience by creating specific workshops, especially during the summer season..."