Albert Bichot

According to Bichot family records, the first traces of the Bichot name date to 1214, and the family settled in Burgundy in 1350 at their fief of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, a fortified medieval village in the broader Côte d'Or hinterland. The family crest preserves a doe and antlers, a heraldic play on biche (doe in French). The contemporary négociant business was founded in 1831 by Bernard Bichot in Monthélie, not Beaune. Bernard's son Hippolyte acquired the family's first vineyard parcels in Volnay. The headquarters moved to Beaune in 1912 under Albert Bichot, the namesake of the contemporary house, consolidating the commercial operation at the historic center of the Burgundy trade. The business has remained in family hands across multiple generations through Albert and his successors to Albéric Bichot, who has led the group since 1996.

• Family origin: traces to 1214; settled in Burgundy in 1350 at Châteauneuf-en-Auxois; crest preserves doe and antlers from biche
• 1831: Bernard Bichot founded the négociant business in Monthélie
• Bernard's son Hippolyte acquired the first vineyard parcels in Volnay
• 1912: Albert Bichot moved headquarters to Beaune; Albéric Bichot has led the group since 1996

Albert Bichot operates six distinct estates spanning Burgundy's major appellations, giving the house an unusually broad geographic footprint. Domaine Long-Depaquit in Chablis is the largest at 52.1 hectares, with approximately 9 to 10 hectares of Grand Cru across five of the seven Chablis Grand Cru climats (Bougros, Les Blanchots, Les Clos, Les Preuses, Vaudesirs) plus the La Moutonne monopole, and about 15 hectares of Premier Cru across six climats. Domaine du Clos Frantin covers 13.2 hectares across the Côte de Nuits with parcels in Vosne-Romanée, Échezeaux Grand Cru, and Chambertin Grand Cru. Château-Gris adds 3.4 hectares in Nuits-Saint-Georges, including the small Les Terres Blanches Premier Cru monopole. Domaine du Pavillon covers 19.5 hectares in the Côte de Beaune around Pommard, including the Clos des Ursulines monopole. In the Côte Chalonnaise, Domaine Adélie works 7.4 hectares in Mercurey. The portfolio concludes in Beaujolais with Domaine de Rochegres at 4.9 hectares in Moulin-a-Vent. Each estate maintains its own dedicated vineyard team and local production identity while the broader Albert Bichot label anchors the unified commercial commerce.

• Domaine Long-Depaquit (Chablis, 52.1 ha): largest estate; about 9 to 10 ha Grand Cru across five climats plus La Moutonne monopole; about 15 ha Premier Cru across six climats
• Domaine du Clos Frantin (Côte de Nuits, 13.2 ha): parcels in Vosne-Romanée, Échezeaux Grand Cru, Chambertin Grand Cru
• Château-Gris (Nuits-Saint-Georges, 3.4 ha) including Les Terres Blanches Premier Cru monopole; Domaine du Pavillon (Côte de Beaune, 19.5 ha) including Clos des Ursulines monopole
• Domaine Adélie (Mercurey, 7.4 ha) + Domaine de Rochegres (Moulin-a-Vent, 4.9 ha)

The Bichot estates have been transitioning to organic certification across a long arc. Organic conversion began around 2000 with formal certification from 2012; Clos Frantin and Domaine du Pavillon carry the organic label from the 2018 vintage, and Long-Depaquit's certification is completing in 2025 (currently Haute Valeur Environnementale Level 3). Marketing materials at the house and at Hospices de Beaune describe a target of 106 hectares of certified organic vines across the six estates; the sum of the current official estate hectares totals approximately 100 hectares, and the 106-hectare figure anticipates the completion of Long-Depaquit's organic certification. At Long-Depaquit in particular, Cecilia Trimaille was named regisseuse in February 2018, hired from Château Margaux where she had spent six years as deputy head of vineyard operations. Her background includes training at Montpellier SupAgro and an MSc in International Wine Commerce from Burgundy School of Business, with prior experience in California, New Zealand, and Bordeaux. She replaced Matthieu Mangenot, who had run Long-Depaquit from 2007 to 2018 and moved to assistant technical director at the Beaune headquarters. Trimaille was in turn succeeded by Louis Gimonnet, who became régisseur of Long-Depaquit in July 2021 and directs the estate's technical work from vineyard to bottling.

• Organic conversion began around 2000; formal certification from 2012; Clos Frantin and Domaine du Pavillon carry the organic label from the 2018 vintage; Long-Depaquit completing certification 2025
• Aggregate target of 106 ha certified organic anticipates Long-Depaquit's certification completion; current estate sum is approximately 100 ha
• Louis Gimonnet régisseur of Long-Depaquit since July 2021, succeeding Cecilia Trimaille (regisseuse 2018 to 2021, hired from Château Margaux)
• Replaced Matthieu Mangenot (Long-Depaquit régisseur 2007 to 2018, moved to assistant technical director at Beaune headquarters)

Albert Bichot has been the leading buyer at the Hospices de Beaune charity auction for over thirty years, and the partnership traces to the house's first bid in 1876, a relationship now approaching one hundred and fifty years. The Hospices de Beaune is the historic charity hospital founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigone de Salins; the institution holds approximately 60 hectares of Côte d'Or vineyards (Premier Cru and Grand Cru) that produce wine sold each November at the famous Hospices de Beaune charity auction. The proceeds fund the hospital's ongoing operations; the wines are sold as barrels (négociants then perform élevage and bottling) under the Hospices de Beaune cuvée names. Bichot typically buys about 25 percent of the total sale annually, taking roughly 150 barrels across 35 to 40 cuvées. The house has won the Piece des Presidents (the prestige lot whose proceeds go to a designated charitable cause selected each year) seven times since the 2000s, with hammer prices spanning the 50,000 to 660,000 euro range.

• Leading buyer at Hospices de Beaune for over thirty years; partnership traces to first bid in 1876
• Hospices de Beaune: charity hospital founded 1443 by Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins; about 60 ha Côte d'Or vineyards across Premier Cru and Grand Cru tiers
• Typically buys about 25 percent of the total sale annually (roughly 150 barrels across 35 to 40 cuvées)
• Won the Piece des Presidents seven times since the 2000s with hammer prices in the 50,000 to 660,000 euro range

Domaine Long-Depaquit's La Moutonne is the institutional anchor of the Albert Bichot Chablis operation. The 2.35-hectare monopole straddles Vaudesirs (about 95 percent of the parcel area) and Les Preuses (about 5 percent), with a south-southeast exposure on a steep central slope approaching 40 percent gradient. INAO authorized La Moutonne to bear the Chablis Grand Cru name on 21 July 1951 on the condition that the parcel remain a monopole; the climat is not officially recognized as an eighth Chablis Grand Cru distinct from Vaudesirs and Les Preuses, but the commercial labeling carries Chablis Grand Cru La Moutonne. The parcel was originally owned by the Pontigny Abbey monks before passing through Revolutionary-era sale (31 March 1791) and was acquired by Albert Bichot from 1968 to 1970. The Château Long-Depaquit was built in 1791, and a new eco-friendly winery was completed at the estate in 2014. The cohort that defines apex négociant-producer commerce in Burgundy alongside Albert Bichot includes Maison Joseph Drouhin (the apex certified organic Maison), Maison Louis Jadot (the largest single-domaine landholder), Maison Louis Latour (the senior Hénokiens member), Maison Bouchard Père et Fils (under Artemis Domaines), and Maison Faiveley. Within this cohort, Bichot's combination of the six-estate structure, the long organic transition, the Hospices leading-buyer position, and the La Moutonne monopole anchors a distinctive institutional identity.

• La Moutonne: 2.35 ha monopole, about 95 percent Vaudesirs and about 5 percent Les Preuses, south-southeast exposure with slope approaching 40 percent; INAO Chablis Grand Cru authorization 21 July 1951
• Originally Pontigny Abbey monk holding; Revolutionary-era sale 31 March 1791; acquired by Bichot 1968 to 1970
• Château Long-Depaquit built 1791; new eco-friendly winery completed at the estate 2014
• Apex négociant cohort: Drouhin, Jadot, Latour, Bouchard Père et Fils (Artemis), Faiveley; Bichot's distinguishing combination is six-estate structure + long organic transition + Hospices leading-buyer + La Moutonne monopole