Burgundy Le Chapitre Red - Domaine Jean Yves Bizot 2020

The estate

The Domaine Jean Yves Bizot is a small producer of Burgundy wines in the Côte de Nuits with a cult following. It produces Pinot Noir from several small plots in the premier cru vineyards of Vosne-Romanée and in the grand cru vineyard of Echezeaux. It also produces a small quantity of Chardonnay at the village level and Bourgogne Blanc, and owns plots in Marsannay and Bourgogne Chapitre. The estate covers just over three hectares (eight acres). Production at Domaine Jean Yves Bizot is very small, with fewer than 1,000 cases produced per year.

L's modern incarnation was established in 1995, when Jean Yves Bizot inherited his family's winery and vineyards. Bizot was a professor of oenology and takes a very hands-off approach to winemaking.

The grapes are neither destemmed nor pressed, but fermented as whole clusters. Temperatures are kept low, and fermentation takes place in conical wooden vats for 14 to 20 days.

L's aging takes place in small new French oak barrels for all wines, from Bourgogne Rouge to grand cru, and lasts 15 to 20 months. None of the wines are racked, and all are bottled by hand, barrel by barrel, without fining or filtration - the labels provide information about the individual barrel in which they were aged.