Domaine Bizot, Bourgogne, Le Chapitre

Opened in Paris. P&P and enjoyed slowly. You just can't go wrong with Bizot '19. Very consistent with my previous bottles of this - darker fruit profile than the Vosnes but unmistakeably Bizot with explosive stemmy aromatics. Great weight and concentration for a Bourgogne (Marsannay) plot and it gets better with air, especially with fresh pours from the bottle. In a perfect spot now, though will age and keep for a few years at least. Always a treat and cannot …

Pulled off the list at the Restaurant at Hotel Wailea. Transparent and perfumed, with wild strawberries, rose petals, and saline length, it shows the same whole-cluster elegance and new-oak polish as Bizot’s Vosne crus.

Opened in Paris. Double-decanted and enjoyed. Coming off the Guilbert Gillet SLB Echelas '22, this was a big step up. Classic Bizot aromatics - gorgeous stemmy fruit wafting up, and slightly on the darker spectrum compared to the other cuvees. Lovely finish, and ripe enough in 2019 for there to be no discernable green notes on the finish. This bottle was consistent with my previous ones, and reaffirms my belief that Bizot smashed it out of the park in 2019, …

Dense with dark fruits: blackberries, elderberries, plums and an anchor of earthy notes of truffle, soil, and subtle florals—violet, peony—whispers against the weight. Structure is everything here —fine tannins, focus to every layer. There's tension here, a silent pull between earth and fruit, between sweet ripeness and that cool edge. The texture is velvet, yet there’s an underlying crispness. The finish is drawn out—earth, smoke, blackberry. Long, focused. Everything lingers yet so harmonious.

blind

Opened in HK. P&P but then asked everyone to be patient - we let it breathe in the bottle for at least 1 hour+ before revisiting properly. Probably the best bottle of the '19 Chapitre that I've had by the end. Signature Bizot aromatics but everything was just a slight step up, especially on the palate: darker and more concentrated than the VR in comparison, and carried a weight that really complimented the nose. Just such a gorgeous wine and …

Opened in HK. P&P and enjoyed amongst friends. After some slightly disappointing Mugniers, I decided to pull out something that I knew would perform, and JYB didn't disappoint. This is the third time I've had this vintage, and it seems to get slightly better every time. Absolutely gorgeous nose as you'd expect, but some of the green hints that I felt before are becoming increasingly integrated. Very clean as usual, and definitely had structure beyond its humble appellation. Give this …

Opened in HK. P&P and shared with friends. Finishing off a lovely evening with friends in style. Am happy to report that this Chapitre 19 performed better than my previous bottle from 2 months ago: more open, less broody and less green, suggesting better integration at this point. Incredibly clean as per usual, and a crowd-pleaser. Thankfully, we had the patience not to guzzle it too quickly as well, and to let it breathe a bit, which helped soften the …

Acker "Paulee" Burgundy Dinner (Capital Seafood - Beverly Hills CA) : Paulée style dinner. Lush red cherry and berry with Asian five spice. This kept going and going, with wonderful depth for its level. A rare treat.

Opened at L'Envol in HK. Slow-oxed for 1.5 hours before being served, and enjoyed as the second red in a great flight for dinner. Was definitely a good decision to let this slow-ox beforehand. Was still a bit muted upon first pour, but after sitting for a while in the glass and being topped up with some fresh pours this really got going. Signature whole-cluster, red fruit explosion Bizot nose. Incredibly clean for a natural wine, showing the amazing work …

DRC, Bizot, Pignan, Soldera and Grange (L'envol, St Regis, HK) : Bottle decanted. Improving after 2 hours, initially not showing much. Beautiful violets. Worth a try, but I would not do it again with the recent prices.

The nose itself with its intoxicating perfumes deserves almost a perfect note. The mouthfeel is more tender, open already, after 2 hours of air, the wine became more profound with better depth and good persistence. This is a beauty of a wine, incredibly aromatic, sexy and so gorgeous. 98 nose, 90 for the palate.

Agent's note: The core of Le Chapître was replanted in the 1950s. Although the vineyard appellation was upgraded from Bourgogne to Marsannay in 2019, Bizot does not agree with the change and in his range, it remains labeled as a Bourgogne.