Bouchard Père & Fils, Wine estate and château in Beaune, France

Bouchard Père & Fils is a wine estate on rue du Château in Beaune, housed in a 19th-century pavilion with a pale cream facade, white-shuttered windows and a steep roof of glazed Burgundy tiles in green, yellow and brown, rising to a pointed spire. It stands on the site of Beaune's 15th-century fortress, of which four towers remain; two of them, the Saint-Jean and Madeleine towers, were converted into wine cellars.

The estate was founded in 1731 and experienced major growth during the French Revolution when the family acquired its first vineyards through national property auctions. This expansion established the foundation for the company's significant role in Burgundy's wine production.

The name rue du Château survives from the fortress razed in 1606; the street still cuts the property in two, and underground cellars link the two sides beneath the public road. The estate's Beaune Grèves Premier Cru is named Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus, a parcel whose name visitors hear in tastings.

Visitors can join guided tours through the historic cellars followed by wine tastings featuring selections from different Burgundy appellations. Plan for about two to three hours and wear comfortable shoes, as the experience involves navigating stairs and uneven underground surfaces.

Only four towers of Louis XI's fortress survive; two of them, the tour Saint-Jean and tour Madeleine, were bought by Bernard Bouchard's father-in-law and converted into wine cellars. The rue du Château now cuts the property in two, and the two halves are linked by cellars dug beneath the public road.