A cosmopolitan family with branches all over Europe, the Sichels of Bordeaux were of British origin. Looking back across the generations, we can see that the family’s involvement in the world of wine began in 1856 when Hermann Sichel, then aged 65, set up a wine merchant business in Germany.
In 1883, Sichel moved to Bordeaux and set up an office at 19 Quai de Bacalan – the group’s registered headquarters today – right at the heart of the legendary Chartrons district, the historic centre of activity of the Bordeaux wine merchants. At that time, the company was an acquisitions bureau which procured wines for the Sichel companies in Mainz, London and New York.
In 1938, Allan Sichel, a member of the British branch of the family, joined forces with three other families to buy the legendary – but at that time extremely dilapidated – Château Palmer. For more than 65 years, continuous, sustained investment has been made in the estate in the quest for greater quality, and it is this which has helped to build its reputation. Today, it is viewed as one of the flagship estates of the Médoc.
In 2013 Maison Sichel expands and modernises its winery, Cave Bel-Air. The increased capacity gives us greater control over the finer points of the vinification process starting from the 2012 harvest. Following expansion of its Fine Wine Desk service which supplies its customers with Grands Crus Classés, Maison Sichel has begun work on the construction of a storage facility guaranteeing top security and excellent storage conditions for these highly valuable wines which may remain in our care for many years.