2013 Albert Bichot, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru, Les Amoureuses 6x75cl

Robert Parker – 91-93

The 2013 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru les Amoureuses has a pastille-like purity on the nose that gently unfolds in the glass: raspberry preserve, wild strawberry, forest floor and a touch of autumn leaves. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, crisp acidity, quite lithe in the mouth, with an elegant long finish that exudes both the terroir and Pinot Noir. I wonder if this will match the fantastic 2011 once in bottle? Readers will know that I have given notice about the quality of Albert Bichot’s wines in recent vintages. Both my tastings at their winery and perhaps even more crucially under blind conditions, offered proof that these are wines that can surpass expectations, particularly those that mistakenly assume an inverse relationship between size and quality. Things did not start quite so smoothly. The tasting room stank of paint. Of course, they would not foolishly redecorate on the cusp of the tasting season. In fact, it had been three months prior. Yet still it lingered in similar fashion to Château Ausone that experienced a similar problem. So having relocated to another room where my tasting notes would avoid remarks such as “scents of matt gloss,” I set about the wines. They harvested from October 1 in Burgundy and finished on October 11 with the Château Gris. The vinification was modified according to the vintage, and pigeage for some of the cuvees was once per day instead of twice. The cuvaison was very long, nearly three weeks, and continued with a soft pigeage over a long time. [01/12/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2017-2030