1946
Jean: the start of a wonderful family adventure
Jean Richardot creates a wine estate in the village of Essoyes. The experience is a revelation for Jean, who discovers a passion for vines. He also starts a pressing service, which he offers to his winegrower neighbours.
Jackie: the development of the pressing business
Jean passes on the business to his nephew Jackie. At the time, he is a blacksmith by trade. Jackie throws himself into his new life with the same passion as his grandfather. He takes the pressing business to the next level, and soon the Essoyes site becomes too small. In the mid-1980s, he has a large building constructed in the neighbouring village of Loches-sur-Ource.
1971
1986
Jean-Paul: the first bottles of Champagne Richardot
Jackie’s son Jean-Paul joins his father at the estate. At just 18, he is already buzzing with ideas on how to develop the family business. The first, which ushers in a significant new era, is to take the process to its logical conclusion and produce their own cuvées. The first bottles of Champagne Richardot go on sale in 1988.
Isabelle: business development
As the future wife of Jean Paul, Isabelle joins the winery while Richardot and its champagnes are expanding. She handles all the marketing and sales administration.
1993
1996
Cécile: a stronger family team
As Jackie’s daughter – and Jean-Paul’s sister – Cécile works with Isabelle on the administrative and sales side of the business. She provides valuable support as the estate, and the number of bottles they sell, continues to grow.
Eugène: the arrival of the fourth generation
After a career in top-level cycling, Eugène – Jean-Paul and Isabelle’s son – joins the other three family members as soon as he completes his course in viticulture and his first apprenticeship. He takes care of vineyard management and vinification. His love of bicycles leads him to develop wine tourism in the form of bike rides.
2016
2024
Augustin and Emma: the transmission continues...
Cécile’s son Augustin joins the family adventure. After a stint in Burgundy, he works with Eugène on projects in the vineyards and the cellars. Jean-Paul and Isabelle’s daughter Emma follows him a few months later and becomes involved in communications and marketing.
Vineyards & Winery
Visit the estate
Champagne Richardot cultivates 12 hectares of vines in the Côte des Bar, within a 6 km radius of the estate’s cellars, mainly in the village of Essoyes. From the vineyard to the winery, the Richardot family is driven by respect for the land and living things. This philosophy is reflected in their cuvées, which are both sincere and authentic.