2009 Domaine Bizot Vosne-Romanee Vieilles Vignes

Domaine Bizot is stamp-sized estate in Vosne-Romanee, Burgundy, that in the last decade has become one of Burgundy’s small treasures. Owned and run by Jean-Yves Bizot, a professor of viticulture who was mentored by the legendary Henri Jayer, Bizot produces 900 cases of Grand Cru, Premier Cru and villages wines a year from 10 acres of vineyards. His Pinot Noirs include Vosne-Romanee and Echezeaux. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that “there is no doubt that Bizot is a vigneron who name consumers need to commit to memory.”

Vosne-Romanée is the most prestigious appellation in Burgundy. Its 449 acres of vineyards are in and around the village of Vosne-Romanée and they include renowned Grand Cru vineyards which produce some of the world’s most coveted – and costly —wines. The Grands Crus are Richebourg, La Romanée, Romanée-Conti, Romanée-Saint-Vivant and La Tâche. The Grand Crus Échezeaux and Grands- Échezeaux are actually located in the neighboring village of Flagey-Échezeaux, but legally they can be sold under the Vosne-Romanée appellation. There are also seventeen Premier Crus in Vosne-Romanée. Wine writer Clive Coates has called Vosne-Romanée “the greatest Pinot Noir village on earth” and notes that the appellation’s style “is for wines which are rich, austere, sensual, masculine and aristocratic.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.