Domaine de BicheryRaphaël & Hannah Piconnet
From grandfather Charles's massal selections to Ecocert certification—zero dosage, no additions, organic grower Champagne on Portlandian limestone and clay.
From Burgundy studies to Côte des Bar homecoming—continuing grandfather Charles's legacy.
Raphaël Piconnet grew up in Neuville-sur-Seine, a village in the Aube department at the southern edge of Champagne, where his grandfather Charles had worked the family vineyards on steep slopes above the Seine. While most of Champagne embraced hardier clones, Charles propagated his own massal selection from his best vines—a tradition Raphaël continues today, using bud wood from his grandfather's original vines for new plantings [^45^][^46^].
Raphaël's father Hubert had studied at Avize Viti Campus in the Marne, returning with stories of the rivalry between the "Marnois" (northern Champagne) and "Aubois" (southern). Perhaps to avoid this tension, Raphaël left Champagne entirely, studying at CFPPA in Beaune, Burgundy, then earning his masters in viticulture at CHANGINS in Nyons, Switzerland. He interned at Château Pape Clément in Bordeaux before returning home each harvest [^45^][^46^].
In 2012, during harvest, Raphaël met Hannah, a young intern from Eastfriesland, Northern Germany. The next year, they moved to Bichery together, taking over the family vineyards and dividing them with Raphaël's brother. Their first vintage—2015—marked both the birth of Domaine de Bichery and their full conversion to organic farming. They received Ecocert certification in February 2019 after three years of mandatory conversion [^46^][^54^].
"Association des Champagnes Biologique"—zero dosage, no filtration, no added SO₂.
Raphaël and Hannah are members of the Association des Champagnes Biologique, a community of certified organic grower Champagne producers pushing for terroir-driven quality alongside neighbors like Charles Dufour (Offshore) and Fleury. They're also part of Des Pieds et des Vins, a group of 15 original grower-producers crafting the next wave of Champagne [^45^][^46^].
In the vineyard, they farm 10 parcels organically on sloping hills above Neuville, planted with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier from their grandfather's massal selection. The work is gentle and manual, respecting natural balance without chemicals. Raphaël believes in listening to the vines and understanding their needs through careful observation rather than chemical intervention [^50^][^54^].
In the cellar, their approach is one of absolute precision and non-intervention. Grapes are vinified plot by plot and vintage by vintage. Fermentation happens spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Malolactic occurs naturally. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, with zero dosage (Brut Nature) and no added sulfur dioxide in most cuvées. Aging happens in a combination of used Burgundy barrels (2nd to 3rd passage) and stainless steel, followed by extended lees aging—often 3+ years before disgorgement [^46^][^54^].
Zero Dosage
Indigenous Yeasts
Massal Selection
Côte des Bar—Portlandian limestone, clay slopes, and the steep Val du Clos.
Parcels
Farming 10 parcels across 8.5 hectares on sloping hills above Neuville-sur-Seine and Gyé-sur-Seine. Soils are Portlandian limestone and clay (Kimmeridgian), giving the wines their distinctive mineral character and chalky tension [^46^][^47^].
Iconic Vineyard
The En Val du Clos parcel is their oldest and steepest vineyard, planted in the late 1970s by grandfather Charles. To combat frost, he planted Chardonnay on the upper third and Pinot Noir below. This mix creates their signature cuvée, depicted on their label beneath the Notre Dame des Vignes statue [^45^][^46^].
Selection
While Champagne adopted high-yielding clones, Charles propagated his own massal selection. Raphaël continues using bud wood from these original vines, preserving genetic diversity and site-specific characteristics. This traditional approach yields lower quantities but higher quality and terroir expression [^45^][^46^].
From La Source to Les Meuniers—site-specific Champagnes of purity and precision.
La Source
The flagship cuvée—50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Meunier from all 10 parcels. "La Source" means "where it all begins." 40% barrel aged (used Burgundy barrels from Pommard), 60% stainless steel. Natural malolactic, no filtration, no fining, zero dosage, no added SO₂. Disgorged March 2025 after extended lees aging. Clean, linear, citrus and brioche with mineral finish [^46^][^44^].
Les Terres Mêlées
100% Pinot Noir from three parcels: Les Mées, Val Ligé, La Fontaine du Noyer, and Val Cureaux. Spontaneous fermentation in 40% oak barrels, 60% stainless steel. Natural malolactic. No filtration, no fining, no dosage. Bottled May 2022, disgorged later with extended lees contact. Soft apricot, biscuity spice, dried herbs—mineral driven with deeper intensity [^46^].
À L'Envers
Named "upside down" because this Chardonnay comes from an area where Pinot Noir dominates. Single parcel Envers de Val Mentras on heavily chalky soils. Direct press, fermented and aged in used barrels and stainless steel. Malolactic completed. 3 years on lees before disgorgement March 2021. Dynamic in glass, generous citrus and white peach, salty long finish showing chalky terroir [^46^].
Les Fontaines
Beautiful Rosé Champagne—100% Pinot Noir. 10% vinified as red wine (grapes harvested 2 weeks later for ripeness), 90% as Blanc de Noir. Spontaneous fermentation in 30% oak, 70% stainless steel. Natural malolactic. Unfined, unfiltered, zero dosage, no SO₂. Disgorged March 2025. Intense ripe red cherry, goji berries, liquorice, blossom. Bright, precise, layered complexity [^46^].
En Val du Clos
From the iconic Val du Clos vineyard—20% Chardonnay, 80% Pinot Noir harvested and pressed together, not blended after. Grapes from the upper (Chard) and lower (PN) sections fermented as one. First produced 2018 (this cuvée long wished for). Aged on lees until April 2020, disgorged February 2024. Only 400 bottles produced. The purest expression of their grandfather's vision [^46^].
Les Meuniers
100% Pinot Meunier from the bottom part of La Fontaine du Noyer. First vintage they isolated Meunier individually—2019. Spontaneous fermentation of free-run and pressed juice in barrel and tank. Natural malolactic. No filtration, no fining, zero dosage—first vintage with no SO₂ additions. Disgorged March 2023 after 38 months on lees. Only 769 bottles. Austere, extremely rare, fruit-forward with dense texture [^46^].
The New Generation of Côte des Bar
Domaine de Bichery represents the transformation of Champagne from celebratory fizz to unrivaled site-specific wine. In the Côte des Bar—historically more agricultural and less prestigious than the Marne—Raphaël and Hannah embody a new wave that honors tradition while embracing organic viticulture and minimal intervention. Their commitment to grandfather Charles's massal selection preserves genetic heritage in an era of clonal uniformity [^47^][^46^].
Their zero-dosage, zero-sulfur approach challenges Champagne conventions that rely on sugar and sulfur for consistency. Alongside the Association des Champagnes Biologique and Des Pieds et des Vins, they prove that organic farming in Champagne's challenging climate is not only possible but produces wines of greater transparency and terroir expression. With less than 12,500 bottles produced annually, each cuvée is a rare artifact of Côte des Bar's Portlandian limestone and clay—Champagne with soul, depth, and a living connection to the land [^50^][^43^].
- 8.5 hectares, 10 parcels
- Neuville-sur-Seine, Côte des Bar
- Founded 2015 by Raphaël & Hannah
- Ecocert certified 2019
- Grandfather Charles's massal selection
- Portlandian limestone & clay soils
- Organic farming
- Association des Champagnes Biologique
- Des Pieds et des Vins member
- Zero dosage (Brut Nature)
- No added SO₂
- No filtration, no fining
- Indigenous yeasts
- Natural malolactic
- Used Burgundy barrels & steel
- Extended lees aging (3+ years)
- Varieties: PN, Chard, Meunier
- Production: ~12,500 bottles/year