Albert Bichot Bourgogne Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir 2006

Unfortunately value and Pinot Noir are not often found in the same sentence. At its best, the Pinot Noir grape can yield wonderful results. When its not grown properly under the best conditions, the results can be disastrous. As a result, most of the great and even plain old good Pinot Noirs tend to be rather expensive. This effort from Albert Bichot is an exception to the rule. Its a very nice Pinot Noir that retails in the $15 range.

In your glass you get a pretty medium red color. The nose is filled with strawberry and sweet cherry aromas with a pleasant herbal undertone. In your mouth you get a very nice light-medium body with a little bit more to it than most California and Oregon Pinot Noirs. The fruit flavors are outstanding with great sweet cherry, sour cherry, and strawberry. Pleasant acidity and mild tannins provide balance and structure. Very nice for a price around $15.

This wine would make a great, not too expensive pairing for a Thanksgiving turkey. I might make some native Burgundians upset with this, but I love Burgundy with pizza. This wine is pretty flexible. It would also pair nicely with salmon, pork, or duck among other things.

Domaine Michel & Joanna Ecard Savingny-Les-Beaune Premier Cru "Les Gravains" 2006

Lets start this one by saying that I was able to buy this wine at a pretty hefty discount. This wine typically retails in the $40-50 range, but my good friends at Georgetown Square Wine & Spirits have some great pricing on this bottle, so I was able to get a bottle (well actually quite a few bottles) for significantly less than that. If you can find a deal and you like Old World Pinot Noir, than this is a very nice wine.

Michel Ecard is the son of Maurice Ecard who has a long tradition of making some of the finest wines in Burgundy. Michel ventured off on his own along with his wife starting with the 2005 vintage, and all indications are that all the years he spent learning under his father have paid off.

The 2006 Domaine Michel & Joanna Ecard Savigny-Les Beaunes Premier Cru is a good Pinot Noir that is firmly rooted in Burgundian terroir and style. It is darker in color and fuller bodied than most Pinot Noirs. The fruit is certainly present and pleasant, but the sour cherry and cranberry flavors are very subtle on the nose and the palate. The fruit is nicely balanced by flavors of spice and a pleasant minerality and earthiness that just says Burgundy.

I happen to think this is a wonderful example of what the Pinot Noir grape can do, but I will caution that lovers of New World Pinot Noir might not like this wine. If you like reds from Burgundy it is definitely worth looking for this somewhat hard to find wine. If you like your Pinots from California and the Willamette Valley, then you can probably live without this one.

Pinot Noir pairs nicely with a number of foods. My personal favorite is a nice turkey dinner, but it also goes very nicely with duck breast, roast pork, and salmon.