Albert Bichot Domaine Long-Depaquit Chablis 1er Cru "Fourchaume"

When Albéric Bichot committed Domaine Long-Depaquit's entire estate to organic viticulture from the 2018 vintage onward, it was a structural declaration — not a marketing gesture — that the 65-hectare Chablis domaine's Kimmeridgian limestone-and-clay soils would be managed without synthetic inputs, a rare commitment at this scale in the appellation. Fourchaume sits on the right bank of the Serein river, its south-southwest-facing slopes of Kimméridgien marl and oyster-fossil limestone delivering the saline, chalky tension that separates Premier Cru Chablis from any other Chardonnay address in Burgundy. The fossil-rich subsoil drives a pronounced mineral salinity and keeps natural acidity high even in warmer years. Vinification follows Long-Depaquit's Premier Cru protocol: barrel fermentation in used French oak, then 11–16 months of aging in a mix of stainless steel and used oak, preserving the site's stony character without imposing wood. New-oak percentage is deliberately kept low — the house philosophy explicitly scales oak to amplify climat character, not to add flavour. What distinguishes this expression is that it is vinified at the Chablis estate itself, not transported to Beaune — Bichot's deliberate policy of estate-proximate vinification means the cold-morning microclimate of the Serein valley is captured in the glass. The 2019 vintage in Chablis delivered generous, sun-ripened fruit with the structural acidity to age; Fourchaume at this stage shows drive and concentration, with a drinking window extending comfortably through 2028–2030.