2020 Albert Bichot Vire-Clesse 750 ml

Albert Bichot’s Viré-Clessé is one of our essential white Burgundies—a bottle that provides quality and value like very few others in the world. Each offer leaves a froth of four- and five-star member reviews in its wake, containing praise like “bargain of the century” and “one of the buys of the year for me.”

Which makes our offer of the 2020—a vintage Wine Advocate called “among the very best produced in the last two decades”—that much more exciting. A warm year amplified by dry northeasterly winds concentrated the berries, but quick action by growers ensured that the wines retained an electric acidity that complements the intense flavors created by the grapes’ thick skins.  

Stylistically, Viré-Classé stands apart—not just from the Mâconnais region but from the whole of Burgundy. Nowhere else produces quite the same mix of smoky, gunflint definition and brisk acidity while maintaining a signature rounded texture and sunshine-infused fruit. Inching towards Premier Cru quality, this is one of our favorite expressions of that distinctive southern identity.

After much careful study of the east-facing hillsides of Mâcon, one village stood out from all others: The well-draining, limestone-strewn slopes above the tiny hamlet of Viré were perfect for grapegrowing. 

Few capture this incomparable terroir better than Albert Bichot—little wonder when you consider the pedigree of the family. With ancestors residing in Burgundy since the 14th century and producing wine since 1831, quality and longevity are synonymous with the Bichot name. The current generation, led by Albéric Bichot, refuses to rest on their laurels: He implemented organic viticulture in the family’s Cote d’Or vineyards and continues to push the envelope on quality.