Albert Bichot Chablis 2015

Albert Bichot's family wine business goes back a whopping six generations. That means that they were making wine when the first plane took off, when Benjamin Disraeli was in power (both times) and when Beethoven was composing his Fifth Symphony.

Indeed, like young Ludwig, though this wine does not possess the faculty of hearing, it is a pitch-perfect, accomplished performer that interprets its influences perfectly.

In this Chablis' case, that means that the limestone slopes of Chablis are conveyed as a stunningly fresh and elegant, symphony of a wine. It's an Ode to Joy.

The Bichot family, which has been established in Burgundy since 1350, and has been making wine since the 19th century, owns estates across the region and has been named both the Red Winemaker of the year (in 2004) and White Winemaker of the Year (in 2011) by the International Wine Challenge (IWC). Albéric Bichot, who took over in 1996, is the sixth generation of Bichots to run the House.

Domaine Long Depaquit is one of the family's four estates in Burgundy, founded in 1791 it has since developed a reputation as one of the top estates in Chablis. Each year, they replant approximately 2 to 3% of the vines, so that in the long term they are always in perfect health when they reach their optimal age. A dedicated vineyard team manages both the vines and the soil, each skilled with an intimate knowledge of the terroir and the vines that are planted there.

Each estate also boasts its own winery and cellars where a dedicated team vinifies each cru, under the direction of Alain Serveau, the Cellar Master (reds from the Côte de Beaune are vinified at Domaine du Pavillon).

Whole bunches of Chardonnay grapes are pressed at low pressure to release only the purest juice and the must is then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats to preserve the typicity of the terroir. The wine then undergoes malolactic fermentation to lend complexity and texture. The result is pure and elegant, displaying freshly cut white flowers, stony minerality and soft orchard fruits with a fresh, lively acidity.