June 12, 2025 - A Spectacular Burgundy Tasting
/The WAC Wine Club presents… A Spectacular Burgundy Tasting - An Experience to Remember
Since 1350, the Bichot family has called Burgundy home. In 1831, Bernard Bichot founded a merchant house bearing his name a couple of kilometers south of Beaune. At the end of the 19th century, his grandson Albert Bichot took the family business in a new direction and created the winery, Maison Albert Bichot as we know it. The family heritage has been perpetuated since then. Albert Bichot has acquired 250 acres of vineyards in the most reputed growing areas throughout Burgundy. Over the years they’ve built one of the most enviable collections of vineyards and have an uncanny knack for getting amazing value from sought-after regions while keeping quality sky-high. The family crest, consisting of a deer and antlers, has been synonymous with the winery since its inception.
Of note in descriptions below:
A climat is a specifically delimited vineyard plot with particular geological and climatic conditions where human intervention is also strictly regulated.
A monopole refers to a vineyard or designated area that is entirely owned and controlled by a single winery or wine company.
A clos is a vineyard that is completely surrounded by a wall, typically made of stone, creating an enclosed space.
2018 Chablis Premier Cru ‘Montée de Tonnerre’ Domaine Long-Depaquit
The name of this Climat is derived from that of the ancient Roman road that went up the hill towards Tonnerre. Located on the right bank of the Serien river, facing the Grand Cru ‘Blanchots’ Climat, the purity of the subsoil lends the wines their noble kinship.
The captivating nose swells with aromas of dried and fresh lemon, white-fleshed fruit and marked minerality, as well as spiced pastry. The palate shows a great depth of lemon-cream flavor with a cool, intense, chalky core--a super smooth resolve. This is a refined, powerful and attractive Chablis.
2016 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru ‘Lavaux Saint-Jacques’ Maison Albert Bichot
A great appellation in the Côtes de Nuits, both for its size and renown, Gevrey Chambertin stands out for the impressive diversity of its terroirs. The ‘Lavaux Saint-Jacques’ Climat is located on slopes that border the exit of the Lavaux valley. This valley has a strong influence on the growth cycle of the vine and the ripening of the grapes, lending considerable boldness and precision to the wine.
The deep nose puts forth aromas reminiscent of ripe red and black fruit (strawberry, raspberry...) and mild spices mingled with a delicate hint of oak, which will evolve toward scents of leather over time. This powerful, concentrated wine boasts nice structure on the palate, along with well-integrated tannins and good balance. Its finish is very long and intensely fragrant.
2016 Nuit-Saint-Georges Premier Cru ‘Château-Gris’ Monopole
Built in the early 19th century, Château-Gris sits on a slope to the southwest of Nuits-Saint-Georges, at the heart of a large clos. Back then, the locals named it as such because its roof is covered with grey (gris) slate whereas glazed tiles are more common in Burgundy. The name hasn't changed to the present day.
The extremely elegant nose combines scents of red and black fruit (raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant...) with subtle floral notes (rose, violet, peony...) and a delicate hint of oak. This wine is smooth on the palate and features rich, fleshy fruit flavors and structure owed to sophisticated tannins. This distinguished wine offers a lovely sensation of freshness on the finish.
2017 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru Maison Albert Bichot
One of Burgundy's 33 Grand Crus, the "Bonnes-Mares" climat is divided between the co67yymmunes of Morey-Saint-Denis and particularly Chambolle-Musigny. This flagship wine of the Côte de Nuits lends the Pinot Noir grapes that grow on this exceptional terroir their unique characteristics--power and body without sacrificing finesse and elegance, as well as exceptional cellaring potential.
The superb nose combines notes of red and black fruit, flowers (peony, rose, violet...) and spices, which will evolve over time towards more complex scents (forest undergrowth, leather...). The rich, full-bodied, fleshy palate is supported by velvety tannins. Its classy finish boasts remarkable length.
2018 Corton Grand Cru ‘Clos des Maréchaudes’ Monopole Domaine Du Pavillon
The name ‘Maréchaudes’ is derived from the name of a vineyard mentioned in the 13th century as ‘En Mareschaut’, which comes from the Old French ‘m544aresche’ (marshland). The lower part of Aloxe-Corton was indeed marshy due to its proximity to the source of the Lauve river. Major work was undertaken to drain the soil to make it suitable for viticulture. ‘Clos des Maréchaudes’ is a monopole of Domaine du Pavillon, which is extremely unique in that it boasts two levels of appellation, a Grand Cru and a Premier Cru, within the same 5-acre clos.
This wine features well-balanced notes of vanilla and toast on the nose along with nuances of raspberry fruit and sweet strawberries. It starts off very round, rich and powerful, a harmonious combination of richness and the finesse of the terroir. The tannins are dense, mature and round with a velvety tannic structure. Nice intensity and length come through with red fruit on the finish.
2018 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru ‘Les Malconsorts’ Domaine Du Clos Frantin
Les Malconsorts is an exceptional Premier Cru from Vosne-Romanée. This jewel of a Climat is located close to legendary vineyards (less than 400 metres from Romanée-Conti and less than 600 metres from Richebourg, actually lying adjacent to ‘La Tache’). Its Climat’s name is thought to refer to legal disputes between litigants who did not exhibit fair behavior – hence the ‘mal’ – to gain ownership of this magical piece of land that they held as common property (‘consorts’ in Latin).
This wine expresses the exceptional character of a great terroir combined with a great grape variety. The fine, complex nose features notes of red and black fruit (cherry, raspberry, blackcurrant) combined with delicate nuances of oak and subtle hints of spices. On the palate, the wine's smooth, full-bodied texture is supported by elegant tannic structure. An exceptional, classy wine that is endowed with remarkable length.
