Domaine de Bichery

History of Domaine de Bichery

It all began with Raphaël’s grandfather, Charles, who tended the family vines on slopes descending toward the valleys of the winding Seine’s tributaries. The river rises in woodland less than 75 kilometers to the south. Like most small growers in the Aube, Charles always sold his harvest to the local cooperative; his passion lay in the vineyard, not the cellar. But he passed on far more than a vineyard legacy to his grandson: a carefully maintained massal selection from his own vines, whose cuttings Raphaël still uses for replanting today.

Raphaël left the Côte des Bar to study, first at the CFPPA in Beaune, Burgundy, then at CHANGINS, the university of viticulture and enology in Nyon, Switzerland, before working at Château Pape Clément on Bordeaux’s Left Bank. It was during this time in Bordeaux, in 2012, that he met Hannah, then a harvest intern. Together, they envisioned the “Domaine de Bichery” project. The following year, they returned to Neuville-sur-Seine and took charge of part of the family vineyards.

In 2015, following that year’s wonderful harvest, Raphaël made his own Champagnes for the first time in “the barn,” the small winery behind the house. This marked the estate’s official beginning. That same year, the entire vineyard began its transition to organic farming. Since 2019, following the required three-year conversion period, Domaine de Bichery’s approximately 8 hectares of vines have been certified organic. The estate is now a member of the Association des Champagnes Biologiques, alongside some of the region’s most principled and exacting growers.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine de Bichery

The vineyards extend across two neighboring villages, Neuville-sur-Seine and Gyé-sur-Seine, in the southern part of Champagne. This area, the Côte des Bar or Côte des Bars, lies in the Aube department. It is quintessential southern Champagne: often overlooked in favor of the Marne, yet capable of producing Champagnes of remarkable depth and expressiveness.

The estate’s roughly ten plots lie within about ten kilometers of the property. Reflecting the terroir, they are planted to 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, and the remainder Pinot Meunier. The soils are predominantly clay-limestone and chalk, giving the vines an essential mineral foundation. Averaging around 30 years of age, the vines are rooted in clay-limestone soils that contribute to the cuvées’ structure and depth. Several notable plots bear evocative names: Val Ligé, La Fontaine du Noyer, Les Mees, Val Cureux, and En Val du Clos—named sites that lend their names or character to the different cuvées.

Raphaël still uses grafting wood from his grandfather’s original vines for replanting, perpetuating a unique massal selection in a complete departure from the approved clones developed by the CIVC for their yields. This choice, which sacrifices productivity in favor of expression, is central to the estate’s identity. Yields are deliberately low, and harvesting is selective and done by hand.

Winemaking at Domaine de Bichery

At Bichery, winemaking is guided by a single imperative: stay true to the fruit. One plot, one wine. The wines are aged in barrels without additives, and fermentation occurs naturally with native yeasts. They are neither fined nor filtered. This uncompromising approach comes from artisans who believe that a wine’s truth is forged in the vineyard, not the cellar.

Each cuvée undergoes natural fermentation and is aged partly in oak barrels and partly in stainless steel tanks, depending on the plots and vintages. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally, and the wines are then aged on their full lees until bottling. Cold stabilization takes place naturally in winter. No sulfites are added to the estate’s flagship cuvées, except in minute quantities and only if there is a risk of microbial spoilage.

Raphaël and Hannah never blend vintages or terroirs, ensuring that each cuvée faithfully reflects its vintage and vineyard plot of origin. All the Champagnes are disgorged without dosage—Brut Nature, with 0 g/L of residual sugar—allowing the mineral, fruity, and saline character of the Côte des Bar terroir to shine through. Total production is deliberately limited to around 5,000 bottles a year, making each cuvée rare and highly sought after in the grower Champagne market.

The Cuvées of Domaine de Bichery

La Source: An emblematic cuvée and an introduction to the world of Bichery, La Source is, as its name suggests, the starting point: where it all begins. It is an elegant blend of Pinot Noir (65%) and Chardonnay (35%) from three distinct plots—Val Ligé, La Fontaine du Noyers, and L’Envers Vigne—in the Côte des Bar. The vines, averaging around 30 years of age, are rooted in clay-limestone soils that contribute to the cuvée’s structure and depth. 50% of the wine is vinified in used Burgundy barrels (from a winemaker friend in Pommard, on at least their second or third use), and 60% in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally, and the wine rests on its lees until bottling. No filtration, no fining, no dosage, and no added SO2.

Les Terres Mêlées: Meaning “the mixed lands,” Les Terres Mêlées brings together the estate’s finest Pinot Noir plots. Its name reflects the many plots that make up this cuvée: Les Mees, Val Ligé, Val Cureux, and La Fontaine du Noyer, all planted to Pinot Noir. This 100% Pinot Noir cuvée undergoes natural fermentation, with 50% vinified in barrels and 50% in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally. The wines are then aged on their full lees until bottling, without fining or filtration. They undergo natural cold stabilization, with no added sulfites.

Les Fontaines: Les Fontaines is an elegant rosé Champagne made entirely from Pinot Noir. 10% of the grapes are vinified as red wine, with the remainder made as Blanc de Noirs. The grapes intended for red wine are harvested about two weeks later, bringing greater ripeness and richness to the blend. The wine ferments spontaneously in a combination of oak barrels (30%) and stainless steel tanks (70%). Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally. Once both fermentations are complete, the wine remains on its lees until bottling, with no dosage.

Les Meuniers: Rare even among Bichery’s limited-production cuvées, Les Meuniers is an ode to a grape variety often overlooked in favor of its two more prestigious counterparts. This Champagne is made entirely from Pinot Meunier grown in the lower part of the La Fontaine du Noyer plot. Made according to the same minimal-intervention principles—spontaneous fermentation, lees aging, zero dosage, and no filtration—it reveals a distinctive aromatic character: notes of soft apricot, spiced biscuits, and dried herbs against an intensely mineral backdrop. A precious Champagne produced in tiny quantities, it proves that Pinot Meunier can reach great heights when given the same attention as Pinot Noir.

À l’Envers: Meaning “upside down,” À l’Envers takes its name from the geographical paradox behind it. This Blanc de Blancs comes from a single, very small Chardonnay plot called Envers de Val Mentras, rooted in highly chalky soils in an area overwhelmingly dominated by Pinot Noir. The grapes are pressed directly, then the wine is vinified and aged in a combination of used barrels and stainless steel tanks, with malolactic fermentation completed, before spending three full years on its lees in bottle. Disgorged without dosage.

En Val du Clos: The grapes for this cuvée come from the estate’s signature plot, En Val du Clos: its oldest and steepest vineyard, planted in the late 1970s by Raphaël’s grandfather, Charles. This historic plot is the beating heart of the estate, a living link between generations. Made with the same exacting standards as the rest of the range—native yeasts, partial barrel aging, no additives, and zero dosage—En Val du Clos is a prestige cuvée produced in extremely limited quantities. It captures the very essence of Bichery: a heritage passed down, respected, and brought to its fullest expression. A bottle for special occasions and the most discerning wine lovers.