Bouchard, Père et Fils, one of Beaune’s large merchant houses (quite distinct from Bouchard Aîné), and the most important vineyard owner on Burgundy’s Côte de beaune. Based since 1731 in the 15th-century Château de Beaune, a landmark in this medieval wine town, the house was established by Michel Bouchard, a Dauphiné textile merchant, and taken over in 1995 by Joseph Henriot of the eponymous champagne house who once ran veuve clicquot. By that stage the beleaguered ninth generation of Bouchards had vineyard land acquired over the centuries that totalled more than 90 ha/230 acres and Henriot has continued to add to this, with 86 of the firm’s 130 ha/321 acres in grands crus or premiers crus. Bouchard have holdings in 22 different Beaune vineyards, including their exclusivity in Beaune-Grèves, Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus, and monopoles Beaune, Clos de la Mousse, Beaune, Clos St Landry, and Volnay, Frémiets Clos de la Rougeotte. They are also particularly proud of their 0.89-ha/2.2-acre holding in Le montrachet, and their particularly significant share of Chevalier-Montrachet with their holding of 2.33 ha/5.75 acres. In 1998, the Chablis firm William Fèvre was also acquired by the Henriot family and has been taken from strength to strength.
