Medium cherry-red. High-toned perfume of crunchy cherry-fruit eventually a little creamy oak. There is good width and an edge of fat to the texture too. A creamy vanilla-oak barrel note runs through the core of this and into the mid-palate. Medium, slightly peppery tannin and a good length. For my taste this needs a little cellar time to both round out and to reduce the barrel flavour, but it’s ripe, sweet and tasty already today, and was a very good price.
Bichot Albert
2006 Bichot Albert Latricières-Chambertin
Medium cherry-red colour. High-toned, slightly volatile red fruits over a faintly gunflint and vanilla base. Red fruit that is not so concentrated, but pretty striking. Plenty of oaky flavour and really impressive length, though that’s also a little heavy on the vanilla. Softly textured, this has the intensity of a 1er cru, but it really does have the complexity of a grand cru. It’s a relatively cheap bottling, at that price it’s an easy rebuy nomination.
2006 Bichot Albert Bourgogne Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes
Ever-candid, my contact at Bichot tells me it is often economically stupid to vinify yourself an entry-level burgundy, but this is the task they set themselves. Medium-plus colour. The nose is soft, dark and a litlle musky – but with quite polished fruit. Good ripeness and plenty of tannin with a faintly lingering finish. A clean and tasty wine which I expect to be great value
2006 Bichot Albert Bourgogne Chardonnay Vieilles Vignes
In this case, the VV designation means a minimum 20 years, and this 20,000 case cuvée is from grapes that are sourced only in the Côte d’Or. The nose majors on direct, slightly savoury fruit notes. Flavour fills the mouth, backed with good acidity and a fruity, savoury, slightly mineral finish. Nothing facile or ‘fruity, fruity’ – recommended