Albert Bichot 'C'est La Vie' Pinot Noir-Syrah Pays d'Oc IGP 2021

Maison Albert Bichot is a large producer by Burgundian standards, owning 100-hectares of vines spread from Chablis to the Côte Chalonnaise. It has been a family owned company since 1831, and Albéric Bichot is now the sixth generation to lead it. He took charge in 1996 and decided to increase the quality of their négoce wines by taking more control in the vineyards. He made the shift from purchasing must or wines in barrel to purchasing grapes, focusing on the quality of the raw materials. The grapes are then vinified close to the vineyards from which they come by local winemakers, under the ever-watchful eye of his head winemaker, Alvain Serveau. This wine falls under the Pays d’Oc IGP, a blend of 60% pinot noir and 40% syrah from the Languedoc-Roussillon. It is vinified and finished in stainless steel, with bright, fresh, clean fruit. It has vibrant, ripe red cherry and berries with a hint of spice on a medium-bodied, smooth frame.