Domaine Long-Depaquit - Domaines Albert Bichot

History

The history of the estate begins in 1791, in the middle of the French Revolution, Jean Depaquit, abbot of Pontigny, leaves the orders and returns to civilian life. With his brother Simon, they settled in Chablis and acquired the estate with the aim of transforming it until it became one of the most renowned in the area.

In 1970, the merchant Albert Bichot took over the estate. Today, the Albert Bichot house in Beaune is managed by Albéric Bichot, the sixth generation of his family since 1831.

Château Long-Depaquit owns 65 hectares of vines, including 4 parcels of Premiers Crus and 5 of Grands Crus, and has become one of the most recognized vineyards in the region.

Its magnificent park, bordered by century-old trees and a flower garden, is a real invitation to take a walk. It is the ideal place to enjoy a break, the time of a privileged moment, in the middle of the 18th century.

Dating from the 18th century, the buildings as well as the vat room and the cellars in the outbuildings are still used today as technical installations necessary for the elaboration of the wines of the domain.

The vineyard is cultivated using a sustainable approach: yield control and non-interventionist winemaking, which help create authentic, mineral and elegant wines.

In addition, a new winery exists since 2014, more environmentally friendly. The objective of this facility is to continue to improve the quality of Château Long Depaquit wines by giving them more purity and precision.

The vineyard

Like the rest of the Albert Bichot estates, the values of Château Long Depaquit lie in respecting the terroir and nature, following the principles of sustainable and reasoned agriculture. The vines are cultivated in an organic approach with controlled yields to obtain grapes rich in substance.

The harvest is done manually for the Grands Crus and Premiers Crus, which is not very common in Chablis.

The work on the vines is done by hand and special care is given to pruning and disbudding to keep the best shoots and prevent possible diseases.

After a careful sorting, the grapes are destemmed and slowly pressed. The alcoholic fermentation is done in thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks, and for certain Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines in French oak barrels. After a malolactic fermentation and a maturation of 8 to 10 months, the vats and barrels are reassembled for a maturation of a few months on fine lees. Wood aging is used sparingly to express each terroir at its best.

By intentionally minimizing interventions, the winemaking process seeks to reveal the nuances of the Chablis terroir and reinforce the aging potential and mineral character of the Chardonnay.

The wines

Roundness, amplitude and generosity : this is what characterizes the wines of Domaine Long-Depaquit. The Beaune origins of the Albert Bichot house undoubtedly explain in part the ample and charming style of this estate's Chablis.

In Premier Cru, we choose Montmains, with fresh and saline characteristics, which seduces with its richness and concentration, and Vaucopins, an ample and accessible wine that reveals notes of caramel over the length.

Among the Grands Crus, the fullness and generosity of the Blanchots, with its nuanced and smoky matter, stand out.

Citrus zest and fleshy fruit in Les Vaudésirs, a firm Grand Cru with a suave finish.

The Grand Cru Les Clos is complex, edgy and invigorating, with a tangy, mineral framework.

Domaine Long-Depaquit owns the only monopole among the Grands Crus of Chablis, La Moutonne, which occupies a 2.35 hectare parcel. A true flagship of the estate, it is both a sumptuous and refined wine. Intense, penetrating, vigorous, La Moutonne is a wine of great ageing, distinguished by its depth and intensity.