Tag Archives: Albert Bichot

Expensive wine 164: Albert Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019

Abert Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019 bottle
Abert Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019/$25-$40

Beaujolais offers nuance and subtlety in an age of fruity and alcohol-ixh red wines

There has been a lot of Beaujolais on the blog in the past couple of years, but not just those costing $15 and less. They have been cheap wine staples since the WC’s on-line adventure started.

Rather, there has been more high-end Beaujolais – what the wine geeks call cru Beaujolais. So what’s with their more or less sudden appearance? Because these are among the last French red wines that can still offer value at $25 and more.

Like the Bichot Fleurie La Madone 2019 ($26. purchased, 13.5%). Bichot is a quality Burgundy house, so when I saw this on a store shelf before the holidays, I snapped it up. (And yes, Beaujolais is kind of, sort of, a part of Burgundy). The wine did not disappoint.

This is a delightful, layered, and top-notch red made with gamay from Fleurie in Beaujolais. Fleurie wines tend to be lighter and more delicate, and the La Madone is exactly that. I was even a little surprised at how well made it was; not so much because it didn’t taste like ripe banana $10 Beaujolais, but because it wasn’t simple. Dare I use the descriptor “perfumed,” which typically ends up in snotty-sounding tasting notes?

There is balance, certainly (amazing tannins) and structure to go with the perfectly nuanced red berry fruit. Highly recommended. Pair this with almost any red wine dish that doesn’t seem to lend itself to a pairing. I drank it with roasted pork shoulder, and it was spot on.

Imported by Albert Bichot USA

Thanksgiving wine 2019

thanksgiving wine 2019Four Thanksgiving wine 2019 suggestions

Thanksgiving is the Wine Curmudgeon’s favorite holiday. When else do we get to get to share lots of wine and good food for no other reason than wine and good food? Plus, there is cooking, and it doesn’t get much better than the way a roasting turkey in the oven makes the house feel. The blog’s guidelines for holiday wine buying are here.

These Thanksgiving wine 2019 suggestions should get you started:

• Maison Albert Bichot Chablis 2016 ($20, purchased, 12.5%): This French white wine, made with chardonnay, gets surprisingly low marks on CellarTracker, the blog’s unofficial wine inventory software. Which is just one example of how useless scores are. This is delicious white Burgundy at a price I can’t imagine, crisp and lemony and minerally. Highly recommended. Imported by European Wine Imports

• Georges Vigouroux Pigmentum Rose 2018 ($10, purchased, 12%): This French pink from the always dependable Georges Vigouroux uses malbec to its best advantage, with not too much dark fruit and a clean and fresh wine. It’s a nice change from everyone making Provencal-style roses. Imported by AP Wine Imports

• Azienda Vitivinicola Tonnino Nero d’Avola 2017 ($14, purchased, 13%): Interesting Sicilian red that more resembles Oregon pinot noir than it does Sicilian nero. It’s more brambly, like berries, than the usual plummy fruit. It’s less earthy, and the acidity is more noticeable. Imported Bacco Wine & Spirits/em>

• Scharffenberger Brut Excellence NV ($20, sample, 12%): California sparkling that tastes like it’s supposed to at a fair value — creamy, yeasty, apple fruit, not too tart, and soft but persistent bubbles. In this, it’s a tremendous value.

More about Thanksgiving wine:
• Thanksgiving wine 2018
• Thanksgiving wine 2017
• Thanksgiving wine 2016
• Wine of the week: Falesco Est! Est!! Est!!! 2017
• Expensive wine 123: Long Meadow Ranch Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2016