Albert Bichot (Château Gris)

One of my Burgundy epiphanies came courtesy of a 1959 Chambertin from Albert Bichot. Their wines have performed impressively in recent years. Much of that is down to head winemaker Alain Serveau, who joined as technical director in 1995. Serveau showed me through the 2019s, Alberic Bichot joined halfway through. “We have to adapt to extreme changes in temperature and rain/dryness throughout the growing season,” Serveau told me. “In 2019 we harvested a little later than 2018 and 2020 as the flowering was late due to the cool temperatures. We began picking on 14 September. It was not a terribly long harvest, as the yields were small, between 30-35hl/ha, even for the entry-level wines. What was more difficult was the variegated ripening times that necessitated going back and forth in the vineyard according to soil type, clay, limestone or sand. The weather accentuated the differences. The big difference between 2018 and 2019 was the solid to liquid ratio, especially for the whites. In 2018 you could lose 20% of the juice within four days but in 2019 you did not have a lot of it right from the beginning. This means it was easier to vinify the 2018 than the 2019. In 2018 you needed 330kg to fill one barrel but in 2019 that was 350kg. I think organic viticulture allowed the vines to adapt changes in the climate. There are three wines above 14.5° but most are around 14.0°. The level of acidity is higher in 2020 than 2019 but I don’t know why that is.” Bichot’s wines should be taken more seriously than some cognoscenti give them credit for. I found their 2019 whites good but not exceptional, apart from their fine Beaune Clos des Mouches Blanc. But among the reds there are some standouts such as the Grands-Echézeaux and Vosne-Romanée Malconsorts, equal to some of the more artisan names for which you might be paying double the price. Whilst some lacked a little complexity, not least the Chambertin, other such as the Fixin Clos de La Perrière represents both excellent quality and value.