[A124] FREDERIC COSSARD BOURGOGNE BLANC BIGOTES QVEVRIS 2018 750ml

Bedeau and Bitotes, The Masterpieces

As you may already well know, "Bedeau" and "Bigotes" are not only Frederic Cossard's signature cuvée but also an absolute masterpiece of natural wine. Nowadays, it is common to see natural wines adorned with pop, comic-style illustrated labels, but it was actually Frederic Cossard who pioneered this trend—and he did so right in the heart of Burgundy. Its inaugural vintage was 2000.

Qvevris

A monumental shift followed with the 2018 vintage and the introduction of Qvevris. Seeking a pure expression of fruit and terroir, Cossard concluded that oak masked the wine's natural purity. He integrated Georgian Qvevris partially starting in 2018, added cement and steel vessels, and by 2020 completely eliminated wooden barrels from his cellar—an extraordinary move for a producer working with Burgundy's finest classic appellations, such as Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, and Puligny-Montrachet.

2018 Bigotes Qvevris

Bigotes is a great natural wine classic, made from Chardonnay from the Puligny-Montrachet area, near Volnay and Pommard. The age of the vines is 55 years. Frédéric Cossard produces wine exclusively from old vines. 

Just like its red counterpart, Bedeau Qvevris 2018, the white Bigotes Qvevris 2018 was a wine packed with rich, explosive fruit flavors. Perhaps this cuvée is the answer to what the buried Qvevris actually do to a wine. These qvevris are crafted with a pointed bottom and buried underground to efficiently channel energy from the earth. (In reverse, the pointed spires of churches and palaces are designed to capture cosmic and atmospheric energy.) Upon opening, we could intensely feel this energy tightly coiled within. As the wine breathed, it unfurled and diffused beautifully, telling us a dramatic story.