2017 Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin 750 ml

The commune of Gevrey-Chambertin is one of Burgundy’s most coveted and revered growing areas, producing some of the most collectible Pinot Noirs in the world—wines that rarely come with a two-digit price tag attached.

That’s why our first cellar stop in Burgundy is at member-favorite Albert Bichot. With family roots going back more than six centuries, the longtime landholders are able to turn out stunning values from even the most sought-after appellations—wines like the 2017 Albert Bichot Gevrey-Chambertin. Only three Gevrey Pinots managed to top it in Wine Spectator’s 2017 ratings, and they average $219. This outstanding bottle even ranks alongside Bichot’s own $250 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru—at less than 1/3 of the price. 

A swirl and sip of this 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin reveals everything that collectors chase in the region’s powerful Pinots, so we pinned down every US-bound bottle for Wine Access members. At just $65, this is a rare two-digit gem from the land of the $250+ Grands Crus, a beautiful bottle that displays why Gevrey-Chambertin is a cellar staple for the world’s top Pinot collectors.   

Showing tons of dark and brooding fruit adorned by aromas of licorice, game, and incense, Bichot’s 2017 is a picture of Gevrey-Chambertin’s sheer power, balanced by zesty acidity. It’s got a fleshy texture, with graceful layers of raspberry and spiced dark plum building through a long, complex finish. This is a Pinot Noir of real substance and depth enveloped in an ethereal body, and although it’s drinking beautifully now, it’s got the dense tannic backbone to continue to improve over the next decade. An equal to its single-vineyard peers in quality, it’s miles ahead in value, and proof positive of why we go to Bichot, every time.

In 1831, Albert Bichot founded Maison Bichot, and six generations later, it is still an independent family company, run by Albéric Bichot. An inexhaustible talent, Albéric has won multiple Winemaker of the Year awards, from Le Journal de Paris and Wine International Challenge, as well as the prestigious International Trophies from the Decanter World Wine Awards. During his tenure, he’s quietly pushed the envelope on quality while maintaining pricing that takes us back to the days when we were paying with francs.  

Like the other exclusive addresses in the Côte d’Or (Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, Morey-St.-Denis) the village of Gevrey proudly annexed the name of its most famous vineyard. Originally Champ de Bertin (meaning “Bert’s Field”), the Chambertin name commemorates the farmer who first planted vines there some nine hundred years ago. All of the vineyards feature Burgundy’s favored east and southeast exposures, and the appellation is dense with Grand and Premier Cru sites. 

Gevrey-Chambertin is now the source of some of the most sought-after wines in all of Burgundy. And while neighbors Chambolle and Marsannay might be known for their purity and austerity, Gevrey is prized for its muscular dark-fruit intensity. This is especially true in 2017, which Vinous dubbed “A Modern Classic” thanks to a benign growing season that predicated “one of the most consistent Burgundy vintages in 20 years.”

Thanks to our longstanding relationship with the Bichots (which is certainly helped by how our members have clamored for their wines) we’ve got the best price—the only price—in the nation on their overachieving 2017 Gevrey-Chambertin.