Albert Bichot Bourgogne Chardonnay “Origines”

Albéric Bichot's structural decision to vinify every wine at the estate closest to its source — rather than centralising production — applies even at the regional level: this Bourgogne Chardonnay is handled at the Beaune winery, renovated in 2008, using the same non-interventionist philosophy that governs the house's Grand Cru programme. Fruit is sourced from long-term partner growers across Burgundy's major sub-regions, giving the blend breadth that a single-village wine cannot achieve. The 2022 growing season delivered a hot, dry summer and early harvest, producing full-bodied, aromatic whites with natural richness balanced by the appellation's inherent acidity. Vinification follows a predominantly stainless steel regime (approximately 80%), with the remaining 20% in used French oak barrels — Tronçais and Allier, light toast — a deliberate calibration that adds textural weight without masking fruit character. No new oak enters the equation at this level, a conscious choice that separates Bichot's regional whites from négociant peers who routinely deploy new wood on entry-level Chardonnay. The result is a wine that drinks generously now, with the 2022 vintage's ripe stone-fruit profile already integrated; a short-term window of two to four years captures it at its most expressive.