Home > Vintages and Regions > Other Wines > Albert Bichot 2007 Côte d'Or Reds

Albert Bichot 2007 Côte d'Or Reds

The Domaine du Clos Frantin was added to the Bichot portfolio in 1969, and today the estate amounts to 13 hectares. The original buildings are in the Clos Frantin (a monopole in the ownership of the domaine), the heart of the domaine in Vosne-Romanée, although in order to facilitate expansion and modernisation the cellars are now located in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The vineyards are situated throughout the Côte de Nuits, principally in the villages of Flagey-Echezeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée and Vougeot, including plots in the grands crus Echezeaux, Grands-Echezeaux and the Clos de Vougeot. I took a look at these vineyards along with Christopher Chauvel, viticultural manager, who came to Bichot from Domaine Leflaive where he worked alongside Pierre Morey. Standing on the narrow lane above the Echezeaux and Clos Vougeot vineyards (pictured below) we looked at the former; Bichot own vines here both at the bottom of the vineyard, where the soils are mostly clay and the wines quite powerful, and also in the top section where there is more sand and the wines are a touch lighter. A little more distant, closer to the RN74, were both Grands-Echezeaux and the Clos de Vougeot, where the Bichot vines sit on a shallow layer of chalk and clay soils. There are numerous other plots, but perhaps that in Les Malconsorts, a leading premier cru in Vosne-Romanée, is most worthy of mention.

The estate was founded by General Antoine Vincent Legrand, a Field-Marshal in the service of Napoleon I, explaining the presence of his name on the 1978 Corton I drank in March 2009. The clos itself is a lieu-dit on the periphery of Vosne-Romanée, very close to the famed La Tâche vineyard (it is remarkable just how many vineyards profess their proximity to one famous name or another in this fashion). In later years it was owned by Grivelet, who bottled the Clos Frantin wines as a monopole, before coming into the Bichot portfolio in 1969. The produce of the original clos is now blended with other Vosne village wines, so there is no longer a Clos Frantin cuvée per se, but there is still a very full portfolio of red wines, including those from owned vineyards that came with the purchase of Clos Frantin, négoce wines, red wines from the Pavillon vineyards, Bichot's Côte de Beaune foothold and also from Domaine Adélie, in the Côte Chalonnaise.

The wines below are largely of the Côte d'Or, and are all of the 2007 vintage, hence my title above. Having said that, we opened the tasting, which was held in Chateau Gris, an attractive hilltop residence surrounded by terraced vineyards overlooking Nuits-Saint-Georges, with a generic Bourgogne and two wines from Domaine Adélie. This mini-profile has been incorporated into my Albert Bichot profile, along with all the tasting notes presented below. In case it isn't already sufficiently transparent this visit to Burgundy, and the tasting of the wines of Domaine du Clos Frantin and other red Burgundies described below, is the result of hospitality from Albert Bichot. If you feel this might have impaired my judgement of the wines, please bear that in mind when reading my notes. (4/6/09)

Albert Bichot 2007 Reds - Tasting Notes

The following wines were tasted in March 2009. Click for stockists.

Albert Bichot Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes 2007: There is some cherry fruit on the nose here, with a very slight furry edge. The palate is cleaner though, lean, firm and structured. The fruit is lean, there is grip, and a pretty, punchy character. But the quality, density and interest just isn't here for me. 14-14.5+/20

Albert Bichot Domaine Adélie Mercurey 2007: This sees fermentation in stainless steel, then maturation half in steel and half in oak, 15-20% new. There is more depth on the nose here, but also a slightly candied, caramelised marshmallow sweetness to it which I assume comes from the oak toasting. Nice depth on the palate, with fresh acidity and a pretty substance, well composed and backed up by a nice texture. For the appellation it is good; but it needs time for that false oak sweetness to integrate. 15-16?/20

Albert Bichot Domaine Adélie Mercurey Champs Martin 2007: This sees fermentation in wood, then maturation entirely in oak, 30% new. This is more withdrawn on the nose, again there is a firm toastiness to it, but there is nicely spiced fruit underneath. Substantial, firm, a little richer and creamy through the midpalate, with a chewy and attractive finish. 15-16+/20

Albert Bichot Beaune Clos de l'Ermitage 2007: This is a lieu-dit of the Beaune vineyards overlooking the premier cru Clos des Mouches, and the wines has seen 15 months in barrel. More charred-toffee, caramelised sugar notes on the nose here, so the oak dominates at the moment, but the palate is attractive, with an elegant, composed, complete and slight stony style. The tannins are fine, textured and cottony, and the fruit has purity. This is a good step up from the preceding wines. 15.5-16.5+/20

Albert Bichot Domaine du Pavillon Pommard Clos de Ursulines 2007: Another lieu-dit, this one lies next to premier cru Clos Micault. The wines has a deeper hue, with sweet strawberry and cherry fruit on the nose. It has a lovely pure entry on the palate, which is rounded and polished, with a gentle cottony texture but also a good substance. Attractive, perfumed, but underscored by firm tannins, this wine seems very true to the appellation. 16-17+/20

Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles 2007: This lieu-dit is situated near the top of the slope, to the northwest. It has a very different character to the preceding wines, very expressive, with fresh and stony fruit. There is perfume too. It has a lovely sweetness on entry, with a gentle and aromatic style, and a gentle, stony, minerally substance, underpinned by good fruit and structure. Very bright and attractive. 16.5-17.5+/20

Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin Les Corvées 2007: A darker hue, and a more animalistic, more meaty style on the nose. The palate is rounded, dense, polished but firm, withdrawn and certainly of substance. There is even a little chewy edge to the structure here. This is very nicely done but it is a much bigger, forceful character than the Evocelles. A wine to be reckoned with. 16-17+/20

Albert Bichot Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru Les Peuillets 2007: This wine is vinified at Domaine du Pavillon, and in this vintage it has been aged entirely in wood, although for a shorter time than usual. The nose is interesting, gamey, again with the coffee notes and sweetness of some toasted oak. The palate is full, rich, a touch creamy, with firm midpalate grip, the tannins perhaps augmented by the wood? It has some perfumed chalky, red-raspberry fruit, with a little sweetness and more grip in the finish. 15-16+/20

Albert Bichot Pommard Premier Cru Clos Micault 2007: This vineyard lies at the bottom of the slope in Pommard. It is less expressive than the Ursulines, and has a more tense, grippy, structured character on the palate. It is powerful, quite tannic, but with a good texture and some polished, rather stony fruit. This is one for the cellar I think. 16-17+/20

Albert Bichot Domaine du Pavillon Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens 2007: In contrast to Clos Micault this vineyard lies at the top of the Pommard slope. There is black cherry and smoke on the nose, with a faint trace of sweet oak. This has a very different style, more polished, firm and structured, but this is nicely covered through the midpalate. Broad, cottony, finely styled, this should be very good indeed. 16.5-17.5+/20

Albert Bichot Domaine du Pavillon Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru Clos des Marechaudes 2007: This 2 hectare monopole is divided between premier cru (two-thirds) and grand cru. This wine sees 40% new oak. A little sweetness on the nose here, with a toasty, caramelised oak character, but also rich fruit. The start on the palate is lovely, polished, with lots of grip and tannin. It is fine, structured, firm and elegant. There is lovely fruit to balance it out. Lots of potential here in this very fresh wine. 17-18+/20

Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Les Cazetiers 2007: This vineyard is high up on the Gevrey slope; the wine has a beautiful mealange of perfumed violets and stony, black summer fruits on the nose. The palate starts off in a delightful fashion, polished and fine, suppleness underpinned by firm tannin. The overall impression here is one of composed beauty; excellent wine. 17-18+/20

Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Lavaux-St-Jacques 2007: Another vineyard high up on the slope. Again, very perfumed, and seemingly much purer and defined than the Cazetiers. Full, structured, less perfumed and feminine, more substantial in character. There is plenty of structure on the palate, the fruit lagging behind a little. But this is certainly lovely wine, full on the finish, but it needs to be left in the cellar for some time I think. 17-18+/20

Albert Bichot Domaine du Pavillon Corton Clos des Marechaudes Grand Cru 2007: This wine comes from the one-third of the clos classified as grand cru. It sees 80% new oak. There is a big difference in colour between these two wines, this one being darker, denser, with a more matt appearance. Fine substance on the palate, with real texture and attack at the beginning, then a broader midpalate, although it always remains very polished, harmonious and substantial. There is a lot of structure but it stays very well hidden, and the new oak has been very well absorbed. Dense and yet with finesse, this is excellent. 17.5-18.5+/20

Albert Bichot Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru 2007: This has an interesting nose, of muted fruit, burnt cherry with a vegetal twist. Substantial on the palate, rounded, with the suggestion of polished stone. There is a lot of firm midpalate grip which rather dominate the fruit, but it has a good, mouth-filling weight which rather compensates. This is attractive, certainly more so on the palate than the nose, and it has potential. 16.5-17.5+/20

Albert Bichot Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru 2007: This is fabulous, complex, deep and smoky; there is tobacco leaf and sweetness over a layer of fine fruit. On the palate it is polished, very stylish, full, rounded, perfectly balanced, with great purity and harmony. This has great style, and it bodes very well for how it will perform in the cellar. Wonderful wine. 18-19+/20

Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin Echezeaux Grand Cru 2007: Recently bottled, this is much more withdrawn on the nose than some of the preceding wines. There is some stony fruit, only opening out with a little time in the glass to reveal a more perfumed character. Full, broad, polished and substantial wine, with midpalate grip and structure; full, creamy, but fanning out on the palate to show ripe texture and substance. This is potentially very fine indeed. 17.5-18.5+/20

Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru 2007: Again a recently bottled cuvée, this wine seems more mineral on the nose, and it is perhaps a little more expressive, with a coffee twist. Full, substantial, creamy, quite divine on the palate. There are notes of coffee, fresh barrels and clean fruit, and overall I suspect this is just a touch superior to the Echezeaux although it is perhaps difficult to call. Both will certainly make excellent for the future. 18-19+/20