Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy's oldest and largest domaines, founded in 1731 and still run from the Château de Beaune. Few houses own this much great vineyard, which is why its bottles are a benchmark for what the Côte d'Or does with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Nearly three centuries in the heart of Burgundy
The house began as a cloth business under Michel Bouchard in 1731, moved into wine within a generation and bought vineyards in Volnay by 1775. In 1820 the family took over the Château de Beaune, a fifteenth-century royal fortress whose deep cellars still hold a library of more than a million bottles. Today Bouchard is the biggest owner of Grand and Premier Cru land in the Côte d'Or, with holdings across the best of Burgundy. Grand Cru parcels include Le Corton, a large share of Chevalier-Montrachet and a slice of Montrachet itself.
The house style, from Enfant Jésus to the great whites
The reds are built on Pinot Noir and the whites on Chardonnay, in a classical style that favours purity and length over weight. The flagship red is the Beaune Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus, a Premier Cru the family has owned since 1791, silky and perfumed in good years. The whites reach their peak in Chevalier-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne, taut and mineral when young and ageless from strong vintages. The domaine passed to the Henriot family in 1995 and, since 2022, sits within François Pinault's Artémis Domaines. Explore more from across France alongside these Burgundian classics.
Bouchard Père & Fils FAQ
What is Bouchard Père & Fils best known for?
Its scale and its vineyards. As the largest holder of Grand and Premier Cru sites in the Côte d'Or, it makes everything from village wines to rare Grand Crus, led by the Beaune Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus.
Should I cellar these wines?
The village and Premier Cru reds drink well within a few years, while the Grand Crus and top whites reward a decade or more. Buy a little extra and give the best bottles time.
Red or white?
Both are serious. The Pinot Noir reds are the historic core, but the whites from Chevalier-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne rank among Burgundy's finest.