Gevrey's One-Man Band,
a Sub-$30 Tune
2007 Bachelet Bourgogne Rouge
The "Humble" Bottle That's
Chased by Blue-Chip Collectors
"This is a serious Bourgogne and one that should reward 4 to 5 years of cellar time as it boxes above its weight." - Burghound
Bachelet’s Burgundies are incredibly well-loved Pinots. They are raucous, joyful, authentic. They have a brashness, a freshness, an energy that makes them some of the most gulpable wines out there - though this is not to undermine their seriousness.
And this is particularly the case with Bachelet’s 07 Bourgogne Rouge, which, as the Burghound says, most decidedly "boxes above its weight." Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise, since this is the case pretty much year in and year out at this benchmark Gevrey-based estate. But seeing that kind of comment - that kind of praise - in relation to a Bourgogne Rouge from the tricky 2007 vintage is especially noteworthy.
While the 2007s are not long-haulers, of the last four or five Burgundy vintages, the 2007s are drinking the best now. A 2007 Mugneret-Gibourg Gevrey 1er Cru was simply knock-out last week - for the shorter term, it's not going to get better.
 |
Denis Bachelet himself called 2007 "a huge amount of work" - but it is work that paid off. His 07s, across the board, defy expectations.
Clive Coates calls Bachelet a "one-man band," and the analogy is spot-on. Bachelet farms a mere three hectares essentially all by himself, revealing a rather dramatic disparity between the size of the estate and the fame of the estate. Bachelet’s Charmes-Chambertin, as an example, is made from a miniscule 0.44-hectare plot of 90-year-old vines, and it is one of Burgundy’s most greatly loved, greatly sought-after wines. But more to the point, even beyond that, is the fact that Bachelet is one of those producers whose entire (and meager) output is aggressively collected - across the board.
There’s good reason for the interest: The wines at every level are so very, very good, thanks to old vines, low yields and sensitive winemaking. And it starts with the Bourgogne Rouge, which defies its humble little designation, packing in more character, more purity than you might expect from a sub-$30 Burgundy, more fullness and detail of wild raspberries, blackberries, cherries and dark, rich, freshly turned earth.
As would be expected from the 07 vintage, there’s a pop of acidity - yet there’s also a great concentration that was only possible to attain in this vintage by way of the aforementioned hard work, and likely also thanks to this cuvée's 35-year-old vines. I'd bet the raw material here will keep this going well beyond Meadows' four to five year projection. Now is your chance to stash some in the cellar to find out.
We were very excited to come across this parcel nearly three years after its release, particularly given the Burghound’s note about its ageability and, frankly, our memory of just how delicious this was when we first carried it a couple years back. The pricing remains exactly the same as it went for then - particularly impressive in light of its having just come into its perfect drinking window, and in light of the going price for the wildly chased 09 Bachelet Bourgogne Rouge - which today goes for 50% more than today’s offer.
Demand for Bachelet is always huge. Our parcel, comparatively, is not so huge. Please give us your maximum order, and we'll do our best.
To order, please click below, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits