Echezeaux Echezeaux Clos Frantin - Albert Bichot 1995 (Red)

The Albert Bichot house is lucky enough to possess 1.75 hectares of this exceptional premier cru, located right next to a few mythic plots (Romanée-Conti is less than 400 metres away and Richebourg less than 600!). The vines, aged between 35 and 40 years, are east/south-east facing, on limestone soil. The Clos Frantin, owned by the Albert Bichot house, makes the following wines: in grands crus, Richebourg, Chambertin, Clos-de-Vougeot, Grands-Echézeaux and Echézeaux, in premier cru, Vosne-Romanée ""Les Malconsorts"" and in village appellations, Gevrey-Chambertin ""Les Murots"", Vosne-Romanée Les Maizières, Vosne-Romanée Les Damaudes and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The Clos Frantin covers 13 hectares, eight of which are premiers and grands crus. Fertilisers and weed killers have been replaced with compost and tilling. In order to produce a high quality fruit, the soil is carefully respected, the vines are pruned dramatically and thinning is carried out if necessary. The domain's wines are vinified in the historical building at the entrance to Nuits-Saint-George. In the vat-house, gravity-flow has replaced the mechanical operations in the winemaking process, which improves the quality and the grapes' aromatic potential. Today, the Albert Bichot house has 100 hectares of vines, at Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise, over four domains:-Château Long-Depaquit, Chablis (65ha)-Domaine du Clos Frantin, Nuits-Saint-Georges (13ha)-Domaine du Pavillon, Pommard (17ha)-Domaine Adélie, Mercurey (4.5ha)The Bichot family has been in Burgundy since 1350, but it was only in the 19th century that they became interested in vineyards and wine. Albéric Bichot, who is in charge since 1996, is the sixth generation.

At Domaine Clos Frantin, numerous Grand Crus are tended to and aged by the excellent Maison Bichot which has been using all of its expertise in Burgundy since 1831. Since then, the standard may have been a little irregular, but the estate knew how to find its grandeur again, especially after Albéric Bichot arrived in 1996. He has returned the estate’s wines to their former glory. Converting the whole estate to organic cultivation is testimony of this evolution, which is highlighted in this climat, a one-hectare plot of land acquired in the 1960s. Les Champs Traversins, in Flagey-Echézeaux, produces an amazing cru that shines above the rest of the appellation thanks to the fact that it faces due east, has thin soil comprising of sand and pebbles, and lies on a steep slope with an altitude of 290 metres. In fact, this wine with its delicate notes of rose, fresh citrus fruits, cold stones, wild strawberries, and dried flowers is an exceptional cru.
Tasting this outstanding wine reveals a great sweetness; a long, perfumed finish fills the mouth with wonderful floral flavours. This wine from Échézeaux is matured for about 14 months in oak barrels at the estate with close to a half of the barrels being new oak ones, adding quality to the wine.

Consult price estimate for: Clos Frantin - Albert Bichot