1983 Albert Bichot Domaine du Clos Frantin Gevrey Chambertin

Maison Albert Bichot is one of Burgundy’s largest and most important negociants. It was founded by Bernard Bichot in 1831 as a wine brokerage and by the early 20th century the maison was exporting throughout Europe and to the U.S. In 1912 it moved its headquarters to Beaune. Today the estate is run by Alberic Bichot, the sixth generation of the founding family. In 2004 Albert Bichot was named “Red Winemaker of the Year” by the International Wine Challenge and in 2011 the maison won the “White Winemaker of the Year” honor from the same organization. Albert Bichot owns four estates, one each in Chablis, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Pommard and Mercurey. It is also produces wine from Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnnaise, Beaujolais, Maconnais and regional appellations. Altogether the maison owns a total of more than 250 acres of vineyards.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.