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Wine tasting with Albert Bichot, Burgundy

Visiting Burgundy is brilliant at any time of year but the autumn is particularly lovely. Chilly, misty mornings give way to warm sunshine. The leaves on the vines have turned golden-brown. The harvest is over, the grapes pressed and calm has returned to the vineyards. There is a sense of relief throughout the wine houses: all has been done throughout the year to nurture the vines and their fruits. Now all that’s left is to wait and see what the result will be.

Wine makers in every region are happy to receive visitors and talk about their art, with a glass or two of a recent vintage in hand. None more so than the house of Albert Bichot a leading négociant in Beaune, the beautifully preserved medieval walled city, also known as the wine capital of Burgundy.

Founded in 1831, the house of Albert Bichot is still family owned and managed by its sixth generation, Albéric Bichot. Often thought of as the Sleeping Beauty of Burgundy Bichot has in the last ten years, put in place many initiatives aimed at proving itself as one of Burgundy’s most outstanding producers. One move has been to buy grapes rather than wine, working closely in the vineyard with local vignerons and ensuring that as much care goes into the négociant wines as into the domaine wines.

As in the vineyard, the grapes are treated as gently as possible in the winemaking. Traditional methods are used, such as minimal use of machines, gravity feeding and long vatting of the reds.

With the aim of staying as faithful to the terroir of each region as possible, the house owns three separate wine making sites. These are at Domaine Long-Depaquit in Chablis, Domaine du Clos Frantin in Nuits-Saint-Georges and Domaine du Pavillon in Pommard. Albert Bichot is fully aware that local knowledge of individual parcels and wines is invaluable, so each domaine has its own dedicated teams in the vineyard and the cellar. The result is wines that show individual character rather than an overriding house style.

For wine lovers, rather than wine experts, tasting wines of such complexity and character as found here can be daunting. To spend three days working through all three wineries is frightening, but hardly a demanding task. Within a short time it feels like a moment without a glass in hand is a moment wasted.

First stop, Domaine Long-Depaquit and the Grand Cru Vineyards of the Chablis region. 65 acres, 10% of which is Grand Cru and 20 acres Premier Cru are all organically cultivated, with compost and regular ploughing replacing fertilisers and weed killers. In the heart of the Grands Crus the estate owns the famed ‘La Moutonne’ Chablis. The intense Kimmeridgian soil (a mixture of clay, chalk and fossilised oyster shells) here is at its finest. This results in a lovely wine with a pale, bright, green gold colour, a distinguished fruitiness, defined minerality and aromatic herbs.

Next Domaine du Pavillon which is now also home to Alberic Bichot and his young family – hopefully the next generation of Bichot’s dynasty. The estate, extending over 17 hectares, has been owned by the Bichot family since 1993. The vineyards are situated in the Côte de Beaune, principally in the villages of Meursault, Volnay, Pommard, Beaune and Aloxe Corton. Domaine du Pavillon is sole owner of the 4 hectares of the renowned Pommard Clos des Ursulines, in the heart of the village of Pommard. It also owns in exclusivity the Clos des Maréchaudes composed of 50 acres of Grand Cru Corton and 1.5 hectare of Aloxe Corton Premier Cru. Again, the estate is organic.

Onwards we went to the Côtes de Nuits Grand Cru vineyards and Domaine du Clos Frantin with the Director of Viticulture Christophe Chauvel. The passion and dedication of the director was evident throughout his explanation, and thorough understanding of each of the vines within the exalted vineyards of Flagey-Eschezeaux. Domaine du Clos Frantin is 13 hectares in the Côte de Nuits including Grand Cru holdings in Chambertin, Richebourg, Grands Echézeaux, Echézeaux and Clos de Vougeot, as well as Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Malconsorts.

Last but by no means the least the final triumphant tasting was at the small elegant petit-Chateau Gris for a flight of tastings of what was soon-to-become the glorious 2005 vintage.

It wasn’t all slurping and spitting however. The vineyards may have been quiet but in the cellars all was busy. The visit to Clos Frantin was at precisely at the time of day for pigeage - the method of submerging the skins and grape solids into the wine whilst in the vat. The skins are kept in contact with the fermenting wine and pigeage helps to keep the solid matter in contact with the wine, imparting colour, flavour and tannin during the cuvaison. Pigeage à pied is the process of pushing it down with the foot. But, at least, having been recruited to take part was achieved by pumping the fermenting wine over a cap, submerging it using boards laid across the top of the vat - and no feet.

At least eighty wines tasted (not drunk, spitting was a must) and spoiled for choice is an understatement. To single out any wine almost impossible. Overwhelmingly the care and dedication at Bichot results in wines of a superior quality with purity and elegance. The investment is proving itself as they rapidly become one of Burgundy’s most outstanding producers and perhaps the Sleeping Beauty is now wide-awake.

Notable wines from Albert Bichot

Chablis

Grand Crus: La Moutonne, Les Clos, Les Preuses, Les Vaudésirs, Les Blanchots, Les Bougros

Premiere Cru: Les Beugnons, Les Lys, Les Vaucopins, Les Vaillons, Les Fôrets, Montée de Tonnerre.

Domaine du Clos Frantin

Grand Crus: Richebourg, Chambertin, Grands Echezeaux, Echezeaux, Clos de Vougeot

Permier Crus: Vosne Romanée Malconsorts

Villages: Gevrey Chambertin, Nuits St Georges, Vosne Romanée

Domaine du Pavillon

Vin Blancs: Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Mouches, Mersault Premier Cru les Charmes

Vin Rouges: Corton Grand Cru Clos des Maréchaudes Monopole,

Aloxe Corton Premier Cru Clos des Maréchaudes Monopole, Pommard Clos des Ursulines Monopole, Volay Premier Cru les Santenots.

Bichot Wines are available from Oddbins…