I like Bizot but the rapid price increase was always puzzling to me. I always thought it was due to his “natural” wine making but the “hint” of Henri Jayer makes sense too.
I was wowed by my first Bizot, a 2014 Vosne Romanee that Brad Kaplan brought to a dinner back in the fall. I immediately went searching, and found some…at $300
lol
A nice long article about wines that never make it here.
I remember getting offers/seeing half of these producers, and searching my inbox shows that I’ve had opportunities to buy most of these producers in the US.
Bizot and Arnoux-Lachaux can hardly be described as under the radar in Western Europe.
I have Raphet wines back to at least 05, they do get imported. Odd that Bize, with the “hint” of Jayer connection uses 100 percent stems and lots of new oak. IIRC wasn’t Jayer the guy who preached 100 destemming? If there is a connection it must be a contrarian one.
You folks know better than I do. Searched for three or four and found no vintages available anywhere on winesearcher.
Or in America!
I have a feeling ‘under the radar’ does not apply to you ‘burgheads’ on here 
Also, it’s not uncommon for a label to ‘rocket up’ once someone else recommends them - happens here all of the time.
Good luck chasing, my friends . . .
Bizot is very expensive ex-cellar.
The wines can be brilliant, but sometimes I feel that the 100% new wood fatigues them. It’s very classy, carefully-chosen new wood, so maybe immediately apparent to everyone, but it does mark the wines.
I think Bitouzet-Prieur is excellent (their Volnays, haven’t had their whites), in a vaguely Voillot-ish sort of way. They must be under the radar since no one here has mentioned them!
I find the Voillot wines a bit more pure and Bitouzet a bit more, not rustic, but maybe hard or stearn. But generally, yes, that’s a really good way of putting it.
On Bizot, I remember when it was going to bee the next big thing a long time ago, and I found the wines a bit blocky and woody. Then they were going to be the next big thing again, and weren’t. I guess they are now. They’re sort of in the Priere-Roch circle.
Had dinner earlier this year in Hong Kong with Jean-Yves Bizot and his right hand man Thomas Berry as part of a combination BYOB event with the importer providing a few bottles as well. Maybe more experienced tasters of these wines have a different view but I thought they did especially well with the 2013’s and the 2009 Chapitre was excellent.
OK, ok,
Drank, '98 and '99 Echezeaux, during the past five years (still young), paired with fish, pizza (sauteed shitake mushrooms & Vidalia or Peruvian onions and “earthy” entres.
If you really want the 1997 Echezeaux, J. Y. Bizot, original case (12-.750 bottles) purchased on release, EM.
Yours Truly!
excellent comparison. I also don’t get the sudden spike in pricing on that.
Another set of wines that I like from the article is Lamy-Caillat. They have 4 different wines all from Chassagne and the straight Chassagne offers a good introduction although it appears from the article and tasting notes that they have added a St Aubin which I have not tried.
Always enjoy reading original reviews & predictions!
DOMAINE BIZOT, J.
Echezeaux, Grand Cru
Vosne Romanee
Ownership-? Hectares? Unknown production
1997-There is no doubting the exemplary vineyard and cellar work performed by the young and conscientious Jean-Yves Bizot. His organic farming and non-interventionist wine making techniques have been described and praised in The Wine Advocate (most recently in issue #118). There is no doubt that Bizot is a vigneron whose name consumers need to commit to memory. Jean-Yves Bizot’s 1997 Echezeaux has a great chance of outliving its tannic shell. The first words in my tasting book say, “1990 Montrose!” This wine, which is the result of paltry 16 hectoliter per hectare yields, displays the same monstrous levels of ripeness, density, concentration and structure as that St. Estephe benchmark setter. Its magnificent aromatics are reminiscent of spices awash in perfume and blackberry liqueur. On the palate, licorice, asphalt, creme de cassis, and herbal notes burst forth before being conquered by the formidable tannins. This may be one of those rare Burgundies that will necessitate 20+ years of cellaring. If so it could ultimately merit a score in the mid to upper ninety point range. However, Pinot Noir rarely copes well with tannins, unlike Cabernet Sauvignon based wines and experience suggest it will probably dry out before its substantial backbone softens. Drink: 2007 to 2020? Rovani, TWA, Tasted 10/99. Rating, 90/94.
1997-From vines in Orveaux that yielded just sixteen hectoliters per hectare in 1997; 12.8% alcohol: Good deep red. Lively red fruit nose complicated by strong soil tones of smoke, mulch, Cuban tobacco and iron; quite complex animal, vegetal, mineral notes reminded me of Clos des Lambrays. Very long, ripe, chocolatey finish features dusty, evenly distributed tannins. Plenty of structure and strength. Perhaps the most complete wine to date from the young Bizot, who began vinifying with the 1993 vintage. Tanzer, IWC, 83.7. Rating, 91.
Where do you see that? I’ve never seen a Saint-Aubin in the cellar. Though here’s hoping.
I did a short article on their wines, including a vertical of the Caillerets, in The Wine Advocate earlier this year.
Wow thank Donn. Did Rovani actually ever figure out what red Burgundy is supposed to taste like?!?