Burgundy (Red)

Pinot Noir, grown on the gentle slopes of the Côte d'Or, produces arguably the greatest red wines of the world. It is here more than in any other region that the skill of the traditional merchant is tested - the grand châteaux of Bordeaux with all their size and fame give way to a plethora of small, mainly family owned, domaines where vineyard, cellar and office work is all undertaken by members of the family, with perhaps a handful of employees at certain times of year. Of course there are big firms too - the famous négociants of Beaune and Nuit St Georges (Bouchard Père et Fils and Faiveley for example) - but here too, the greatest wines come from their own vineyards.

Because of the Napoleonic inheritance laws, the pattern of vineyard ownership is constantly changing as land passes from generation to generation, and many domaines, though only a few hectares in size, may make as many as 15 or 20 different wines, often in miniscule quantities of a barrel or two. The system of labelling can also appear confusing as the wine takes its name from its appellation rather than (as in Bordeaux) from the producer. So although in the small print, the most important piece of information on a bottle of Burgundy is the name of the producer. In part for this reason, and in part because the wine is made from a single grape variety with therefore no possibility of adjusting blends where the strength of one variety can compensate for the weakness of another, the potential for disappointment is greater than is the case in Bordeaux.

When everything falls into place however, a truly great red Burgundy is a wonderful thing.

Domaine des Clos

Grégoire Bichot put this domaine together with the help of his father Bénigne, having decided not to join his family's famous négociant firm in Beaune. He began working out of small cellars in Vosne Romanée which belonged to the firm, but his possession of the buildings proved rather less secure than he had imagined, and his occupation of them ceased in 2008. Out of adversity however came a great opportunity - when Grégoire heard that a fine 19th century négociant's building (with deep cellars) was to be demolished, he raised the money to buy it and took it over shortly before the 2009 harvest. He now has a marvellous space in which to work, with wonderful deep cellars, and much of the necessary restoration has been completed. The future of this fabulous source of Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru and Nuits 1er Cru once more seems secure.