Exploring quality at Maison Albert Bichot plus 17 wines worth seeking out

In mid-February, I was invited by my Master of Wine colleague Richard Bampfield MW, to join him on a three-day visit he was making with a group of students to Burgundy. The focus was Maison Bichot – one of the most influential producers within Bourgogne.

Although Bichot may not immediately spring to mind as one of the top names in the region, the visit confirmed what I already suspected – Bichot should be seen as one of the region’s most dynamic, quality-focussed and sustainability orientated producers, whose wines are well-worth exploring.

Scroll down to see Andy Howard MW’s Bichot tasting notes and scores

The range of wines produced by Bichot is almost mind-boggling. When I last checked, there were 143 wines listed on the company’s website, ranging from generic Bourgogne wines to the loftiest Grand Cru.

Geographically, Bichot’s reach stretches from Moulin-à-Vent in Beaujolais to Chablis. For 20 years, the company has been the largest buyer at the annual Hospices de Beaune auction, and produces organically at all of its own domaines.

The history of Bichot’s can be traced back as far as 1214 but it was in 1350 when the family first settled in Burgundy. In 1831 interests in wine started to develop with the creation of a négociant house in Monthélie by Bernard Bichot. His son, Hippolyte, purchased Bichot’s first vines in Volnay, convinced that control in the vineyards was key to quality. Bernard’s grandson, Albert, took the business in a new direction with the creation of Maison Albert Bichot which settled in the centre of Beaune in 1912. Bichot became a significant force in the export market, still a key focus today.

Albéric Bichot represents the 6th generation to run the family house, and is regarded by many as a visionary and someone who has taken the quality of Bichot’s wines to levels unforeseen just two decades ago.

He is also one of the most endearing, humorous and generous managing directors one might encounter – traits which seem to infuse Bichot’s wines. In typically self-effacing style, he compares himself to the ‘conductor of an orchestra, proud to bring people and their talents together over a common project’.

Christophe Chauvel has managed Bichot’s vineyards since 2000, whilst Alain Serveau is Technical Director/head winemaker. The company owns four separate vinification centres in Chablis and the Côte d’Ôr, and all Domaine wines are organic.

Bichot owns 107 hectares of vineyards across six estates – Domaine Long-Depaquit in Chablis; Château Gris and Domaine du Clos Frantin (Nuits-Saint-Georges); Domaine du Pavillon (Pommard); Domaine Adélie (Mercurey); and Domaine de Rochegrès (Moulin-à-Vent).

The Bichot vineyards comprise several monopoles – Grand Crus Corton Clos des Maréchaudes and Chablis Moutonne, along with Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Clos des Maréchaudes. It has the largest holding (1.76ha) within Malconsorts, Vosne’s best Premier Cru. Long-Depaquit, with 65ha, is one of the largest domaines in Chablis, over 6ha of which are Grand Cru.

The company also owns vineyards in many leading Côte-de-Nuit Grand Crus – Richebourg, Echézeaux, Grands-Echézeaux, and Chambertin.

Top-wines are competitively priced and offer great value for money – 2015 Malconsorts can be purchased in the UK for £105 per bottle in-bond, compared to Domaine de Montille £285, and Dujac £395.

Wines were tasted blind with many Premier and Grand Cru wines assessed. The Bichot style is focussed on showing terroir characteristics but also emphasising purity and a bright fruit profile. These are wines that can, in most cases, be enjoyed relatively early on.

During one dinner, Bichot wines were paired (blind) with the benchmark producers of specific appellations, from identical vintages. On several occasions the Bichot wines scored more highly than their competitors and, in all cases, showed a deftness of touch with oak which makes the wines subtle and highly appealing.

Domaines Albert Bichot may not yet have quite the same name as luminaries such as Leroy, Cathiard, Rousseau, Roumier, to name but a few. However, this is a source of some wonderfully crafted Bourgogne wines, which combine early appeal with balance, accessibility and good value. They should not be over-looked.

See Andy Howard MW’s Bichot tasting notes and scores

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