DOMAINE DE BICHERY
Neuville-sur-Seine
Champagne
The story of Domaine de Bichery intertwines family legacy, personal journeys, and a deep-rooted commitment to mindful winemaking. It all began with Raphaël's return to his family's estate in 2013, armed with experiences gathered from various wine regions in France via Switzerland. Growing up in the vineyards of Neuville-sur-Seine, influenced by his grandfather's dedication to the land, Raphaël inherited his passion for viticulture and winemaking. The encounter with Hannah during the 2012 harvest eventually led them to reunite at Bichery, where they decided to jointly take over the family vineyards, converting them to organic practices.
In 2015, they vinified their first Champagne, marking a significant milestone for the Domaine. From the start, the duo consistently relied on instinct. They embraced unconventional (at the time) methods, choosing the uncertain yet delicate approach of plant preparations over the convenience of chemistry, refining these techniques over the years. With Raphaël's oenology education and Hannah's diverse background, they poured their dedication into the estate’s growth, meticulously crafting every aspect of their produce and projects.
In Febuary 2019, after three years of mandatory conversion time, the Domaine obtained the official Ecocert certification. Bichery today farms ten parcels in those same sloping hills above the town where Raphaël grew up, Neuville. Additionally, after several years spent making wine outside the walls of the tiny cuverie inherited from grandfather Charles, they have just inaugurated a brand new cellar in an old, fully refurbished building adjoining their house. In this vaulted cellar lie rows of barrels filled just a few days before our visit. Despite the expansion, production is still very small, capping at 12,500 bottles with the 2020 releases.
Along with offshore’s Charles Dufour, Bichery are also part of the "Association des Champagnes Biologique", a community of certified organic grower Champagne producers pushing for a new level of terroir-driven quality.
La Source
Vintage 2020
Style Sparkling
Region Côte des Bar, Champagne
Varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
ABV 12.5%
Soils Portlandian limestone, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking 50
% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay mainly from the 2020 vintage, from the domaine’s all ten plots. 40% of the wine is vinified in Burgundy barrels (used, of at least 2nd to 3rd passage,
from a very good friend in Pommard), and 60% in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic occurs naturally. After fermentation
the wine rests on its lees until bottling.
No filtration, no fining, no dosage. 2020 marks the first vintage of this wine made entirely without any added SO2.
Tasting Note La Source aka ‘where it all begins’. This cuvée symbolises the launch of the estate and its flagship wine. Direct and precise, it display pure citrus fruit with a hint of brioche. Long and mineral on the finish.
Les Terres Mêlées
Vintage 2020
Style Sparkling
Region Côte des Bar, Champagne
Varieties Pinot Noir
ABV 12.5%
Soils Portlandian limestone, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking 100% Pinot Noir from three different parcels: Les Mees, Val Ligé and La Fontaine du Noyer. The wine is spontaneously fermented in a mixture of oak barrels (45%) and stainless steel (55%). Malolactic conversion happens naturally. Once these are completed the wine is kept to age on the lees until bottling. No filtration, fining nor dosage. The wine is allowed to go through a natural chilling during the winter. No SO2 added at any stage in 2020.
Tasting Note
Les Meuniers
Vintage 2019
Style Sparkling
Region Côte des Bar, Champagne
Varieties Pinot Meunier
ABV 12.5%
Soils Portlandian limestone, Chalk
Farming Organic
Winemaking 100% Pinot Meunier from the bottom part of La Fontaine du Noyer vineyard. 2019 was the first vintge they’ve managed to isolate the Meunier and vinify it individually. Spontaneous fermentation of free-run and pressed juice, feeding in a combination of barrel and cuve.
Malolactic fermentation occours naturally. Once the fermentations are finished, the wine is aged on its fine lees until bottling.
No filtration, no fining and also the first of their vintage Chmapagne to not see any SO2 additions.
Disgorged in March 2023, after about 38 month on lees.
Tasting Note This is an austere and extremely rare champagne (only 769 bottles produced). It is fruit forward, with a dense texture. Layered and complex, culminating on a salivating finish that keeps on giving.
Les Fontaines
Vintage 2020
Style Sparkling Rosé
Region Côte des Bar, Champagne
Varieties Pinot Noir
ABV 12.5%
Soils Portlandian limestone, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking A beautiful Rosé Champagne made with 100% Pinot Noir. 15% of the grapes are vinified as a red wine and the remaining as a Blanc de Noir. The grapes used to produce the red wine are harvested around 2 weeks later providing a higher level of maturity and richness to the blend. The wine is spontaneously fermented in a mixture of oak barrels (30%) and stainless steel (70%). Malolactic fermentation is realised naturally. Once both fermentations are finished the wine is kept on the lees until bottling. The wine is unfined and unfiltered and goes through a natural chilling during the winter. Disgorgement in March of 2023. Brut nature. Similarly to La Source and Terres Mêlées, 2020 is a fully sans-souffre vintage.
Tasting Note A beautiful rich rosé Champagne with expressive ripe red cherry, goji berries, liquorice and blossom notes. The fruit is bright, but yet concentrated and layered, with a lovely bite on the palate.
À L’Envers
Vintage 2017
Style Sparkling
Region Côte des Bar, Champagne
Varieties Chardonnay
ABV 12.5%
Soils Portlandian limestone, Chalk
Farming Organic
Winemaking
As per Les Meuniers, this also comes from a tiny single plot named Envers de Val Mentras, in this case plated at chardonnay on heavily chalky soils. Direct press
, vinified and aged in a combination of used barrels and in stainless steel (malolactic completed), before resting on lees in bottle for a whole three years. Disgorged in March 2021, zero dosage.
Tasting Note À L’Envers meaning ‘upside down’ due to the fact this blanc de blancs comes from an area where pinot noir is so dominant. The wine is rather dynamic in the glass, offering generous citrus and white peach fruit as it unfolds and expressing the particularly chalky terroir with a typically salty, long finish.
En Val du Clos
Vintage 2018
Style Sparkling
Region Côte des Bar, Champagne
Varieties Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
ABV 12.5%
Soils Portlandian limestone, Chalk, Clay
Farming Organic
Winemaking The grapes come from the vineyard symbol of the domaine: En Val du Clos (also picutred on the front labels of each wine in the range).
This is their oldest and steepest vineyard, planted in the late 70s by Raphaël’s grandfather, Charles. At the time, springtime frosts were a recurring threat, therefore he decided to plant the upper third of the plot at Chardonnay and the more resistant Pinot Noir vines in the lower two thirds. 2018 is the first vintage since starting the domaine where they were able to realise this long wished for cuvée, where Chardonnay and Pinot grapes (20% / 80%) are harvested and kept together from the very moment they are pressed. The wine spent about 50 months on fine lees in bottle before being disgorged in March 2023, no dosage.
Tasting Note