Albert Bichot 'Loiseau-Bichot' Gevrey-Chambertin Pinot Noir 2012

If you are planning a very lovely dinner party, plan your menu around this Burgundian bombshell. It has been lovingly blended by the expert sommelier, Eric Goettelmann, from the Cote d'Or restaurant, which has forged a strong partnership with the talented producer, Domaine Albert Bichot.

Together, they have created a wine that oozes black cherries, smoky, woodland-y fragrances, with the body and firmness you'd expect from Gevrey-Chambertin. Its dream partner? We reckon a poussin wrapped in prosciutto, served with creamed butternut squash. Do we get an invite?

Loiseau Bichot is a collaboration of the culinary excellence of Bernard Loiseau and the winemaking experience of Albert Bichot. The Loiseau Bichot range is focussed towards the harmony of food and wine pairing, offering a freshness and modernity with a great purity of fruit.

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.

The average age of vines is 30 years old, but it isn’t rare to find 60 year old vines in some of their single vineyards such as “Le Clos des Ursulines” in Pommard. 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. Each estate has its own vineyard team, who manages both the vines and the soil, and who have intimate knowledge of each parcel and of 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 the Domaine du Pavillon winery).

Bernard Loiseau was a French chef who built up the reputation at La Cote d’Or restaurant in Saulieu, Burgundy, after being appointed head chef there in the 1970s. The restaurant received three Michelin stars but, when newspaper reports hinted that it might lose its three stars, Loiseau took his own life. However, it remained a three star establishment in the hands of executive chef Patrick Bertron. Since then, Bernard’s wife has continued to run the business and teamed up with the Bichot family for this successful collaboration and to carry on with the Loiseau name.