Raphael & Hannah Piconnet

Domaine de Bichery

These are not your classic Champagne winemakers! Located in Neuville sur Seine, Côte des Bar, South of the most famous wine region in France, Raphael and Hannah feel closer to Burgundy than to Champagne and since their first vintage in 2015 you can feel it in the bottles.

From their 8 Ha vineyard, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are the complete expression of their terroir. Like Raphael likes to say, the winemaker only account for 20% of the wine, the 80% remaining comes from the vineyard. Therefore, they choose to link each cuvée to a particular plot of their estate in some ways like it is made in Burgundy with the “Climat”.

A truly unique and amazing take on Champagne, Domaine de Bichery is one of a kind and despite being so new already demonstrates true wisdom when it comes to making wines.

Dégorgement

The “Dégorgement à la volée” (by hand) is an old disgorging technique used only for small quantities or special cuvée. First you need to avoid shaking the bottles while carrying it upside down to prevent the lees from rising. Then, Raphael, holding the bottle on the forearm, with a slight inclination, uses his disgorging tool to quickly pull off the “Bidule”, and finishes by bringing the bottle upward at the same time to expel the sediment that has accumulated inside the neck of the bottle.