Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru „Les Lavières“ rouge 2018

The Pinot noir comes from the Premier Cru site Les Lavières in Savigny-lès-Beaune. The municipality is located about three and a half kilometers northwest of Beaune and, with 383 hectares, has one of the most extensive vineyards in this region. The Premier Cru site Les Lavières is located in the direction of Pernand-Vergelesses. Domaine Chandon de Briailles owns 2.61 hectares at the heart of the 17.66-hectare vineyard, which is named after the Laves, flat limestone boulders, which were also used as roof tiles in Burgundy in the past. The vines are around 50 years old and stand in a south-southeast orientation on soil consisting of a mixture of sandstone, sand and marl with ferruginous egg stone in the upper area and reddish-brown crumbly limestone in the lower area. Spontaneous fermentation took place in the wood cuve with quite high whole cluster percentages. Then it went by gravity into the barriques and tonneaux with a small amount of new wood. This was followed by about 14 months of ageing without further agitation or racking. Filling was done with minimal sulphur, mostly directly from the barrel.

medium cherry-red

The Pinot noir from the single vineyard Les Lavières from Savigny-lès-Beaune smells ripe and intense. At first it reminds of peonies and violets, before it goes into the fruity and spicy direction. Red and dark berries, fresh and compote-like, play a role here as well as sweet cherries, a few sour cherries and some blood orange. The aroma is rounded off by fresh yeast dough and forest floor.

On the palate the Les Lavières The wine is very much in the tradition of the vineyard, i.e. juicy, soft, silky and slightly lactic. The 2018 vintage, meanwhile, has more richness and power than the somewhat more delicate 2017. The tannin is ripe and polished, the raps bring slightly cool and ripe green notes into play, and the acidity is typically ripe yet grippy, clean and straight. On the palate there are wild berries, especially blueberries, that taste as fresh as if they had been picked moments before in a Swedish forest. In the long finish it becomes slightly salty and even a little peppery. The Les Lavières is a masculine, slightly earthy Savigny-lès-Beaunefull of energy, minerality and density.