Albert Bichot Chambolle-Musigny Les Chabiots Premier Cru 2020

There aren’t many winemaking families in Burgundy with nearly the storied, deep-rooted history the Bichots possess. With ancestral ties dating back to the early 1200s, the Bichot family planted roots in Burgundy in 1350. Since then, the winery has been passed down to each next generation’s sons, all the way up until today, with an ironclad focus on preserving the grapes’ conditions in order to craft wines of the utmost quality, precision, and purity. This 95-point 2020 “Les Chabiots” Burgundy is one such example of pristine grape growing and winemaking, with a brightness, pureness, and ripeness that oozes elegance and mouth-coating warmth.

Set in the heart of the highly sought-after Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy, in the hamlet of Chambolle-Musigny, between Vougeot and Morey-Saint-Denis, the Premier Cru vineyards on which these vines are planted have shallow soils and underlying bedrock near the surface, giving the wines a proper-smooth elegance. “Les Chabiots” is rumored to have gotten its name from the word “caboche,” a word derived from a rather graphic Latin word for “head”: “capum.” It’s believed that this is in reference to the stone blocks and large rocks, reminiscent of heads, that were buried 40 to 60 centimeters deep beneath the soils that were plowed before these vines were eventually planted at the site.

The Côte de Nuits region is a Burgundian crown jewel famous for growing impeccable pinot noir wines. Chambolle-Musigny is specifically known for its finesse and refinement within the wines that are grown there. The 2020 vintage as a whole scored an almighty 97 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, heralded for age-worthy reds that are all at once powerful, fresh, and balanced thanks to a comparatively early harvest.

Handpicked and fermented in temperature-controlled conical oak vats for 18 to 21 days, “Les Chabiots” was then aged in 35% to 40% new oak barrels for 16 to 17 months prior to bottling. The result is an ever-so-fine pinot noir of the highest expression – one that is purely delightful and compelling to drink right now, though it’s expected to develop to even greater heights in a few years’ time. Notes of tangled forest fruits – from raspberry to blackberry to black currant to strawberry – mingle enticingly at the front of the pack, with subtle floral characteristics of rose and violet pirouetting in closely behind. More vibrant purple fruits develop on the back end – namely Bing cherries, dried cherries, and plum – with enmeshment of tobacco, as the finish comes in with a fresh kick of acidity and ripe, yet smooth, tannins. A truly treasurable wine that drinks like a luxury – yet we’ve been able to offer up this solid little allotment at over $60 off the usual retail! For a 95-point Chambolle-Musigny… that’s a treat! This is one you’ll be ecstatic to add to your collection today, and drink over the years to come, no question.

PAIRING IDEAS: I’m planning to fire up a batch of harissa honey chicken thighs with a Kalamata olive, feta, and tomato deconstructed side salad, loaded up with plenty of dill, lemon juice, and olive oil. The Middle Eastern hot pepper chili paste that is harissa is a true revelation alongside such a bright and fruit-forward Burgundy as this.