You might think that vigneron Grégoire Bichot, well-loved for his personality and his impeccable Burgundy, would have needed to be born into the Burgundy winemaking scene to have made that kind of headway. And, in a sense, he was—the family owns a thriving négociant business in the region. But, rather than joining them as a negotiant, he chose to start Domaine des Clos in 1995, which he’s now built up to 6 hectares in Beaune, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Chorey-lès-Beaune, and Chablis, including grand cru sites and plots with old vines.

In every step along his winemaking process, he moves with integrity and a north star of producing the most classic, expressive Burgundy possible. He hand-harvests, even in Chablis where it’s rare. He’s been organic certified since 2012. He destems, and ferments his reds spontaneously in traditional oak vats. New oak is capped at 30%, always. He eschews modern electric pumps, which he believes disrupts the fruit’s potential, and instead uses what looks like a bicycle pump to move his wines while racking.

This may sound like choosing the rockiest, steepest hike over the grassy meander. But, we all know wine – like the grapes they are made from – thrive in the harshest conditions. At first taste, you’ll agree it was worth it.