Simon Bize - Latricieres Chambertin 2018

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Latricières-Chambertin is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, with Pinot noir as the main grape variety. Latricières-Chambertin is located within the commune of Gevrey-Chambertin. It is situated above (to the west of) the Route des Grands Crus. It borders on Chambertin in the north, Mazoyères-Chambertin in the east (across the road), and on Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru vineyard Aux Combottes in the south. The AOC was created in 1937.

The Bize 0.33 hectare plot of Latricieres-Chambertin was planted in 1961, 1971, and 1981. The soil is a poor and shallow marl and limestone based soil. Latricieres-Chambertin is the next-door neighbor of the grand cru Chambertin.

Simon Bize Description

There are a handful of domaines in Burgundy that we think of as almost being synonymous with their village - Domaine Simon Bize is one of them.

“Is there a more under-appreciated great Burgundy domaine these days than Domaine Simon Bize et Fils? Both the red and the white wines here are absolutely stellar (and have been for generations), and yet, I always get the sense that the Simon Bize wines remain some of the best-kept secrets in all of Burgundy.” — JOHN GILMAN

The domaine has a long history, having been founded in 1890, and farms 22 hectares of vines. Their holdings are a laundry list of Savigny-les-Beaune's best sites, from perfectly situated lieux-dits to the best premier cru parcels of the appellation. Their house style is one partial to whole cluster fermentation for the reds and little to no new oak on both whites and reds.

The domaine was founded in 1890 by Simon Bize who embarked on viticulture with a few hectares of vines in the middle of the phylloxera crisis. The estate was then passed to his son in 1918 (another Simon) who increased their holdings and then to his son (also, Simon) in 1950, who built up a portfolio of customers. But it was his son, Patrick Bize, who from 1972 took the quality of the wines to the top.

Patrick passionately defended a more classic vision of Burgundy far from what was fashionable at the time. It was this energy and fervor that attracted Becky Wasserman to his work from early in her career. After his sudden death in 2013, his wife, Chisa Bize and his sister, Marielle Grivot-Bize. His son Hugo has also recently joined the domaine.

A View from the Cellar: 95 Points

By John Gilman
Nov/Dec 2019, Issue #84, The 2018 Burgundy Vintage: Another Solar Vintage of Sometimes Excellent Quality 95 points

(Latricières-Chambertin- Domaine Simon Bize et Fils) The 2018 Latricières-Chambertin from Domaine Simon Bize as picked on September 5th and is one of the lowest octane wines in the cellar this year, coming in at a svelte 12.65 percent. The wine is absolutely stellar, offering tons of early complexity in its very refined bouquet of black cherries, sweet dark berries, gamebird, a very complex base of dark soil tones, a touch of fresh thyme, just a touch of new oak and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and very transparent in personality, with a lovely core of fruit, great focus and grip, fine-grained tannins and a perfectly balanced, long and very impressive finish. This is not a powerful example of Latricières, but it is one of those wines that puts on weight with extended bottle age and ends up being one of the most impressive wines of the vintage a couple of decades down the road! (Drink between 2030-2085)

Inside Burgundy: 91-94 Points

By Jasper Morris
2018: The Vintage Report (Côte de Beaune), 11/1/2019, (See more on Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy...)91-94 points

(Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru, Domaine Simon Bize, Red) Very intense purple. There is power here and very good ripeness. Black pepper both at the start and at the finish, massive density, some firm tannins, fairly massive but a bit dry too. This is still very backward but I suspect may not topple the Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Guettes as the Bize wine of the vintage.