Louis Jadot ventures into Crémants de Bourgogne with category specialist Louis Picamelot

urgundy’s Louis Jadot is adding another string to its bow. With a foothold in all of the region’s prime Crus, the Beaune-based company announced on January 27 that it would be “incorporating Maison Louis Picamelot, a long-standing and recognised Crémant de Bourgogne producer”, based in Rully. Philippe Chautard (61), the grandson of founder Louis Picamelot and also the company’s managing director and owner, explained that the sale comes after “45 years serving the interests of our company, with no family successor”. He said that the decision was prompted by a desire to “partner with a robust, credible company capable of supporting the family business and allowing it to grow”. Founded in 1829, Louis Jadot has belonged to the Kopf family since 1985, after it was sold by the Jadot family due to lack of a successor.

“Louis Picamelot will remain firmly rooted in Rully and will retain its identity, its positioning and its specific expertise in crafting Crémants de Bourgogne”, says Louis Jadot, chaired by Thomas Seiter since 2023. Established in 1926, the Louis Picamelot trading company has been managed since 1987 by Philippe Chautard, who bought the company’s first grapes in 1991 then installed a winery in 2000 in a former quarry (4,000 m2). He subsequently bought 17 hectares of vines, starting with 2ha at Clos du Chaigne in 2003 then designated vineyard sites in Saint-Aubin in 2007-2012, followed by a new vineyard in 2019. The company produces a number of wines under its own labels – including Louis Picamelot, En Espoutières, Clos Eudes III, Jean-Baptiste Chautard, Jeanne Thomas – but also provides services for Burgundy estates.