Domaine Long-Depaquit

The roots of Domaine Long-Depaquit run directly through Chablis's monastic past. The Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Pontigny were among the first to cultivate vines in the region, and during the French Revolution, Jean Depaquit, a priest of Pontigny, left his orders and purchased the Abbey's vineyards, including the parcel that would become La Moutonne. His son Benjamin later adopted François-Auguste Long, giving rise to the Long-Depaquit family name and the estate as it exists today. The château itself was built in 1791, and the property was acquired by the Beaune-based négociant Maison Albert Bichot around 1970. Sixth-generation director Albéric Bichot has led the company since 1996, and a new state-of-the-art winery was completed at the estate in 2014.

• Origins tied to the Cistercian Abbey of Pontigny; Jean Depaquit purchased Abbey vineyards during the Revolution
• The Long-Depaquit family name emerged after Benjamin Depaquit adopted François-Auguste Long
• Château built in 1791; acquired by Beaune négociant Albert Bichot around 1970
• New eco-friendly winery built on site in 2014; Albéric Bichot leads the house as sixth generation since 1996

Long-Depaquit serves as one of the most comprehensive reference points for understanding the full breadth of Chablis terroir. Its holdings span five of the seven official Grand Cru climats alongside multiple Premier Cru sites and village-level parcels, offering a rare side-by-side comparison of how aspect, elevation, and soil composition shape each wine. The domaine's appointment of Cécilia Trimaille as régisseur in 2018, following her experience at Château Margaux, signaled a renewed focus on organic farming, minimal intervention, and precise terroir expression. The estate's certifications in Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value Level 3, with organic certification targeted for 2025, reflect a serious commitment to sustainable viticulture.

• Holdings across five Grand Cru climats plus La Moutonne monopole make this a key reference for terroir comparison in Chablis
• Cécilia Trimaille appointed régisseur in 2018, bringing experience from Château Margaux and driving a shift toward organic practices
• Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value Level 3 certified; organic wine certification targeted for 2025
• Complete range from village Chablis through Grand Cru provides an educational ladder across Chablis's appellation hierarchy

Long-Depaquit wines are defined by the crystalline mineral purity associated with Chablis's Kimmeridgian terroir. The village-level Chablis, fermented entirely in stainless steel from 34 plots vinified separately, shows candied lemon, white flowers, and a saline, iodine-inflected finish. Premier Cru expressions build additional texture and aromatic complexity. Grand Cru wines, including La Moutonne and Les Clos, offer greater concentration and structure, with white and yellow stone fruit, citrus, and the characteristic minerality derived from Kimmeridgian marl and clay-limestone subsoil. Oak is used in moderation for certain Premier Cru and Grand Cru cuvées, adding subtle texture without obscuring the site's mineral character.

• Village Chablis: 100% stainless steel fermentation; candied lemon, white flowers, saline-iodine mineral finish
• Premier Crus show increasing complexity; moderate oak used selectively in some cuvées such as Vaillons (10% old oak) and Montée de Tonnerre
• Grand Cru whites display stone fruit, citrus, and pronounced Kimmeridgian minerality; La Moutonne and Les Clos built for extended cellaring
• Les Blanchots, the most easterly Grand Cru, is aged in a combination of stainless steel and oak, yielding a floral, elegant style

La Moutonne is the domaine's iconic bottling and one of Chablis's most historically significant monopoles. Formerly owned by the monks of Pontigny, this 2.35-hectare parcel sits 95% within the Vaudésir Grand Cru and 5% within Les Preuses, sheltered in a natural amphitheater with a south-southeast exposure and a steep central slope of nearly 40%. The INAO formally recognized its Grand Cru monopole status in 1951. The domaine's Grand Cru Les Clos is produced from two parcels combining mid-slope and upper-slope fruit, offering dense mineral intensity and exceptional structure. Les Blanchots, at the eastern end of the Grand Cru hillside, is the most floral and elegant of the estate's Grand Cru expressions, while Vaudésir shows concentrated citrus and a classic amphitheater character shaped by post-glacial erosion.

• La Moutonne (2.35 ha monopole): south-southeast exposure, nearly 40% slope, INAO Grand Cru recognition in 1951; the estate's most prestigious and age-worthy wine
• Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos: two-parcel blend from mid and upper slope; dense, structured, among the finest expressions of this celebrated climat
• Chablis Grand Cru Les Blanchots: easterly exposure, morning sun, floral and elegant style with a very mineral, lightly smoky finish
• Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir: south-facing valley shaped by post-glacial erosion; concentrated citrus and rich mineral texture

Long-Depaquit's 52-hectare vineyard, planted on gentle slopes of 5 to 20%, is managed under sustainable viticulture principles certified by Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value Level 3, with a transition to full organic certification underway. Grapes are harvested manually when sugar maturity, acid balance, and aromatics align optimally. The winemaking ethos centers on minimal intervention: the village Chablis is fermented entirely in stainless steel, while Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines see carefully controlled proportions of used oak barrels to add textural depth without masking terroir. Parcels are vinified separately to preserve individual terroir identity before blending. The new 2014 winery supports greater precision and environmental responsibility across all production.

• 52 hectares on slopes of 5 to 20%; Terra Vitis and High Environmental Value Level 3 certified; organic certification targeted for 2025
• Manual harvest timed to optimal sugar, acid, and aromatic balance; parcels vinified separately to preserve individual terroir character
• Village Chablis: 100% stainless steel; Premier Cru and Grand Cru: modest proportion of used oak integrated for texture, not oak flavor
• New eco-friendly winery built in 2014 enables greater purity and precision; minimal sulfur and intervention across all cuvées

The domaine's holdings encompass 9 hectares of Grand Cru and 15 hectares of Premier Cru across Chablis's most celebrated sites, all rooted in the appellation's distinctive Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils containing fossilized Ostrea virgula oyster shells. The jewel is La Moutonne, whose natural amphitheater concentrates sunlight and shields vines from the north, producing wines of exceptional aromatic persistence. Five of the seven official Grand Cru climats are represented: Les Clos (the most complex and age-worthy), Vaudésir (floral and concentrated), Blanchots (elegant and floral with morning sun), Bougros, and Les Preuses. Premier Cru holdings in Montée de Tonnerre, Vaillons, and Vaucoupins demonstrate how left-bank and right-bank exposures, varying clay and limestone ratios, and slope orientation produce distinct styles within the same appellation.

• La Moutonne: 2.35 ha, natural amphitheater, south-southeast facing, nearly 40% central slope; Kimmeridgian marl and clay-limestone subsoil
• Five Grand Cru climats: Les Clos, Vaudésir, Blanchots, Bougros, Les Preuses, plus La Moutonne monopole, totaling approximately 9 ha of Grand Cru
• Premier Cru holdings include Montée de Tonnerre, Vaillons, Vaucoupins, Les Lys, Les Beugnons, and Montmains, covering approximately 15 ha
• All vineyards on Kimmeridgian geology, a 180-million-year-old clay-limestone formation rich in fossilized oyster shells, providing minerality and structure