Clos Frantin

Founded in 1831, Albert Bichot is a leading negociant house and estate owner in Burgundy with estates ranging from Chablis to Beaujolais, including Clos Frantin in Nuits-Saint-Georges. Within the 7.3 hectare estate are 3.9 hectares of Premier Cru and Grand Cru sites that Clos Frantin have become known for – none more so than 1.75 hectares in the Premier Cru Les Malconsorts in Vosne-Romanée. The vineyards have been certified organic since 2012 whilst all wines produced from the 2018 vintage onwards have borne an organic wine label. Fertilizers and herbicides have been replaced with compost and ploughing, whilst methods including severe pruning and performing a green harvest (if needed) results in a low yield of high quality grapes.

There is a mixture of the traditional and the modern at Clos Frantin, with the 18^th Century Chateau and estate juxtaposed with the modern winery and vinification equipment. The head winemaker, Alain Serveau, uses gravity instead of machines as to better respect the quality and potential of the grapes, whilst the barrels used come from the Ateliers de Langalerie in Dijon and are made from walnut wood. Significant investment from Albert Bichot and the talent of Alain Serveau have resulted in critical acclaim for many of their wines as well as a plethora of awards including the Decanter International Pinot Noir Trophy in 2004 and several gold medals at the 2004 International Wine Challenge – it is little surprise therefore that Albert Bichot was named as red wine maker of the year at the same awards.