Albert Bichot

The Bichot family's roots in Burgundy extend to 1350 when the family settled at Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, a fortified medieval village in the broader Côte d'Or hinterland. Across five centuries of family commerce in the region, the Bichots built the institutional commercial commerce that would eventually anchor the 1831 formal founding of the négociant business by Bernard Bichot. The 1831 founding placed Albert Bichot among the institutional cohort of nineteenth-century Beaune-area négociant houses that established the modern Burgundy commercial commerce: Maison Joseph Drouhin (1880), Maison Louis Jadot (1859), Maison Louis Latour (1797), Maison Bouchard Père et Fils (1731). The headquarters moved to Beaune in 1912 (the family had operated from Châteauneuf-en-Auxois and selected other locations through the nineteenth century before the 1912 relocation consolidated commercial commerce at the heart of the Beaune trade). The business has remained in family hands across six generations from Bernard Bichot through the contemporary leadership of Albéric Bichot who took over in 1996. The 1996 leadership transition coincided with the institutional commercial commerce shift that began the contemporary apex commercial trajectory.

• Family roots in Burgundy to 1350: settled at Châteauneuf-en-Auxois (fortified medieval village)
• 1831: Bernard Bichot formally founded the négociant business; institutional cohort with nineteenth-century Beaune-area négociant houses (Drouhin 1880, Jadot 1859, Latour 1797, Bouchard 1731)
• 1912: headquarters moved to Beaune; consolidated commercial commerce at heart of Beaune trade
• Six-generation family ownership; Albéric Bichot took over 1996 and began the contemporary apex commercial trajectory

Albert Bichot owns and operates six distinct estates spanning Burgundy's major appellations, giving the house an unusually broad geographic footprint. The largest holding is Domaine Long-Depaquit in Chablis at 65 hectares, making it the dominant estate by size and one of the largest Chablis production operations alongside Domaine William Fèvre and La Chablisienne cooperative. Domaine Long-Depaquit's La Moutonne Grand Cru monopole is the institutional anchor of the Chablis operation: a 2.35-hectare monopole straddling Vaudésir (~95 percent) and Preuses (~5 percent) Grand Crus, reclaimed to contemporary boundary status across multiple decades of vineyard work. Domaine du Clos Frantin covers 9.5 hectares in Nuits-Saint-Georges; Château-Gris adds a further 3.5 hectares in the same appellation. Domaine du Pavillon accounts for 16 hectares in Pommard on the Côte de Beaune. In the Côte Chalonnaise Domaine Adélie farms 7.5 hectares in Mercurey. The portfolio concludes in Beaujolais with Domaine de Rochegrès at 5.2 hectares in Moulin-à-Vent. Each of the six estates maintains its own dedicated winery, cellar, and locally-based team; the multi-estate structure provides distinct production identities at each location while the broader Albert Bichot label provides unified commercial commerce.

• Domaine Long-Depaquit (65 ha Chablis): largest estate; La Moutonne Grand Cru monopole (2.35 ha straddling Vaudésir + Preuses); among largest Chablis production operations
• Domaine du Clos Frantin (9.5 ha NSG) + Château-Gris (3.5 ha NSG): Côte de Nuits anchor
• Domaine du Pavillon (16 ha Pommard): Côte de Beaune red anchor
• Domaine Adélie (7.5 ha Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise) + Domaine de Rochegrès (5.2 ha Moulin-à-Vent, Beaujolais)

The 106-hectare aggregate footprint across the six estates is certified organic, placing Albert Bichot among the larger certified organic Burgundy producers alongside Maison Joseph Drouhin (the apex certified organic Maison) and Maison Bouchard Père et Fils (under restructuring). The organic conversion has unfolded across the past two decades under Albéric Bichot's leadership; the certification provides institutional commercial commerce advantage distinct from peer large-Maison producers operating uncertified or partially-certified vineyards. Each estate operates with its own dedicated vineyard team applying organic discipline calibrated to local terroir conditions: Chablis's Kimmeridgian limestone work at Long-Depaquit differs from Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos Frantin work which differs from Pommard Pavillon work and from Beaujolais Rochegrès work. The multi-terroir organic approach provides institutional commercial commerce flexibility that few peer large-Maison Burgundy producers match. The 1996 Albéric Bichot leadership transition + the multi-decade organic conversion + the institutional Hospices de Beaune auction position have anchored the contemporary apex commercial trajectory of the house.

• 106-hectare aggregate footprint across six estates certified organic; among larger certified organic Burgundy producers alongside Drouhin
• Each estate operates with own dedicated vineyard team applying organic discipline calibrated to local terroir (Chablis Kimmeridgian, NSG, Pommard, Mercurey, Moulin-à-Vent)
• Multi-terroir organic approach provides institutional commercial commerce flexibility distinct from peer uncertified large-Maison producers
• 1996 Albéric Bichot leadership + multi-decade organic conversion + Hospices de Beaune auction position anchor contemporary apex commercial trajectory

Albert Bichot has been the leading buyer at the Hospices de Beaune charity auction for over 30 years, the institutional commercial commerce relationship dating to a formal partnership established in 1876. The Hospices de Beaune is the historic medieval hospital founded by Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigone de Salins in 1443; the institution holds approximately 60 hectares of Côte d'Or vineyards (Premier Cru and Grand Cru) that produce wine sold each November at the historic Hospices de Beaune auction in Beaune. The auction 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. Albert Bichot's institutional position as the leading buyer reflects the multi-decade commitment of the house to the Hospices commercial commerce and provides distinctive cellar access to Hospices-tier fruit beyond the house's own estate production. The 30-plus year leading-buyer position is one of the longest sustained institutional commercial commerce relationships in modern Burgundy. The Hospices commerce + the six-estate structure + the 1996 Albéric leadership + the certified organic conversion combine into one of the most distinctive institutional commercial commerce profiles among contemporary apex large-Maison Burgundy producers.

• Leading buyer at Hospices de Beaune charity auction for over 30 years; partnership established 1876
• Hospices de Beaune: medieval hospital founded 1443 by Nicolas Rolin + Guigone de Salins; ~60 hectares Côte d'Or vineyards (Premier Cru and Grand Cru)
• Wines sold as barrels at November auction under Hospices cuvée names; négociants perform élevage and bottling; auction proceeds fund hospital operations
• 30+ year leading-buyer position: one of longest sustained institutional commercial commerce relationships in modern Burgundy

Albert Bichot produces more than 150 distinct wines across Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Beaujolais each vintage, the broadest commercial commerce range of any apex large-Maison Burgundy producer outside Louis Latour's ~750,000-case négociant operation. The 150+ wines combine estate production from the six dedicated estates with négociant sourcing under long-term contractual arrangements with growers across Burgundy. The six-estate structure provides production identity flexibility: Long-Depaquit Chablis bottlings carry the Domaine Long-Depaquit label; Pommard Pavillon production carries the Domaine du Pavillon label; Beaujolais Moulin-à-Vent carries the Domaine de Rochegrès label; the broader négociant range carries the Albert Bichot label. Albert Bichot USA subsidiary formed 2007 provides direct US-market distribution across 48 states plus Washington DC. The cohort that defines apex large-Maison Burgundy commerce alongside Albert Bichot includes Maison Joseph Drouhin (~100 ha + Domaine Drouhin Oregon), Maison Louis Jadot (270 ha + Kopf-Kobrand ownership), Maison Bouchard Père et Fils (under Artémis Domaines restructuring), Maison Louis Latour (28.63 ha Grand Cru + Hénokiens membership + ~750,000 cases), and Maison Faiveley (~120 ha hybrid grower-négociant). Within this cohort, Bichot's six-estate structure + certified organic + Hospices leading-buyer position + La Moutonne monopole provides one of the most institutionally distinctive identities.