This wine is a Domaine du Pavillon “monopole”. It has the extremely rare distinction of possessing 2 different levels of appellation within the same 2 ha (5 acres) vineyard. “En Mareschaut” is derived from the Old French term “maresche” (marsh). The lower parts of Aloxe-Corton and Ladoix-Serrigny were marshy due to their proximity to the Lauve spring. Major drainage work was undertaken to dry up the land and make it suitable for planting vines. This grapes in this vineyard tend ripen early.

100% Pinot Noir from Côte de Beaune, AOC Grand Cru

Vineyard site: 0.54 ha (1.3 acre) plot in  Aloxe-Corton, on the hillsides, one of the sunniest single vineyards of the Corton hill. The vines are an average age of 40 to 50 years containing brown limestone soil overlying very clayey scree.

Vinification: Grapes were handpicked then fermented in temperature-controlled conical oak vats 20 to 28 days and aged in Oak barrels 14-18 months in 40 to 50% new oak.

Tasting: Our Corton Grand Cru Clos des Maréchaudes features well-balanced notes of vanilla and toast on the nose with nuances of raspberry. Starts off very round, rich and powerful, a harmonious combination of richness and the finesse of the terroir. The tannins are dense, mature and round. Very nice volume and length on the palate.

Food/Wine Pairing: Serve with red meats and game, dishes prepared with wine, and delicate cheeses.

IN THE VINEYARDS

We do all that we possibly can to protect our children’s planet – respect for the terroir and for nature is essential for us.

We practice sustainable viticulture, based on observation, prevention and paying attention to the complex balances found in nature. The soil is maintained responsibly, it is judiciously ploughed and fertilized using organic matter. We also encourage manual labor that boosts the plants’ natural defenses. The dedicated teams at each of our estates know each terroir perfectly well and are very attentive to the development of the vines they oversee.

We follow up on our partner growers’ plots with the same thoroughness as our own. Our approach serves as a benchmark for them. Working together over the long term allows us to set precise objectives to be reached, especially as far as the health of the grapes, yields and degree of ripeness at harvest time are concerned.

AT THE WINERY

We intervene as little as possible during the vinification process. Aware of the richness of the legacy that has been passed on to us, we want our wines to be imbued with the terroir and the characteristics of the village they hail from. We are nevertheless eager to offer you expressive wines that bring a great deal of pleasure and emotion.

Our estates are located in each of Burgundy’s major viticultural regions, each one has a winery and cellar where a dedicated team vinifies and ages our precious wines.

Our winery in the center of Beaune however, is devoted to regional appellations. It was entirely renovated in 2008 and uses the same working methods that function so well at our estates.

The same care is taken with the grapes grown in our plots as with those purchased from our partner growers. All of the wines that bear the Albert Bichot signature benefit from the same know-how and meticulousness.

IN THE CELLARS

The wine is carefully transferred from the vinification vats or barrels to the cellars by means of gravity. There it is allowed to mature in casks for 12 to 18 months.

It is during this key period, when time and expertise come together, that our wines truly acquire their body and reveal their personality and all of their potential.

Depending on the vintage, we use a combination of oak barrels of different origins (Tronçais, Allier, etc.) and of varying degrees of toast to achieve discrete yet complex nuances of oak that are always elegantly well-integrated.

Ageing is the art of patience, tasting and respect for all the work that has already gone into the crafting of the wine.

THE 2018 Vintage

An ideal vintage following several problematic years, 2018 may be considered the perfect vintage, combining good volume and excellent quality. 2018 was the warmest year of the 21st century. In terms of sunshine, it ranks second after 2003. Precipitation was slightly inferior: winter was wet but spring and
summer were dry, however with a few local occasional storms which brought some welcome rain.
After the very low yields we experienced in 2016 and 2017, the vines’ vigor was renewed and weather conditions proved to be extremely favorable for the production of numerous bunches of grapes.

The challenge, therefore, was to succeed in maintaining a reasonable number of bunches on the vines to limit yields in order to avoid dilution and preserve all of the grapes’ concentration. At the time of the harvest, we had managed to reach a perfect combination: highly satisfactory yields, optimal ripeness in all zones, and excellent health of the grapes. In the end, despite rather high volumes, we succeeded in obtaining good concentration and a perfect balance between ripeness and acidity.

The sorting of the grapes allowed us to select the finest bunches in order to be able
to vinify them in their entirety, thus contributing to built the structure of the red wines. Generally speaking, we prefer to keep the wines in barrels until the end of the ageing process to maximize micro-oxygenation. However in 2018, we realized during the first few months of ageing that the wines were marked more by characteristics typical of the Pinot Noir grape than by the typicity of their terroir.

After 12 to 14 months, we therefore chose to return certain cuvées to tanks in order to preserve the crispness of their fruit. This allowed them also to acquire a great deal of density, finesse and definition. In the end the red wines are crisp with good balance, fullness and length. They are already showing all the characteristics of a great vintage.