Stylish Savigny

Incredible, wonderful and amazing are adjectives that we all hope to be able to use to describe the quality of the wines of Burgundy, but sadly are rarely used in the same breath, as the word ‘value’. Indeed, prices of Burgundy wines, have risen dramatically over the past decade and this hallowed ground, is certainly not the first place one would venture in search of a bargain.

These two Giboulot’ gems however, show that it is indeed possible to find truly wonderful Burgundy wines, which offer incredible value. Truly amazing!

Our Six Bottle, Stylish Savigny Selection, comprises three bottles each of Jean-Michel Giboulot’s Savignys.

2020 Savigny Les Beaune Rouge
Pure, fragrant bouquet with ripe black fruits, spice, mineral and earthy notes. Beautifully ripe, black fruits on the palate, lovely depth, with hints of white pepper, spice and minerality. Elegant and harmonious balance, with long, lingering finish.

2021 Savigny Les Beaune Blanc
Tantalizingly inviting bouquet of mouth-wateringly ripe fruit, complemented by a subtle hint of minerality. On the palate, you’ll discover a beautiful balance that showcases the depth of the fruit and a vibrant interplay between minerality and acidity. Lovely tension and focus. Long, fine, stylish finish.

The sleepy village of Savigny les Beaune is situated just a stone’s throw North-West, of the of bustling town of Beaune, but the tranquility here makes it feel like it’s a hundred miles away from that historic town. I have often said that the village of Savigny, reminds me of St. Joseph, in the Northern Rhone, not of course for the scenery or ‘style’ of the wines produced, but because both provide the opportunity to find exciting, high quality wines at considerably lower prices than those from their more famous, neighbouring appellations. For me, the consistent quality, beautiful balance and exceptional expression of Jean-Michel Giboulot’s wines epitomise this. This is not a domaine on everyone’s radar, largely I suspect, because Jean-Michel has never sought to stand on centre stage, but has quietly tended his vines, producing wines which clearly reflect each individual terroir and remain therefore, outstanding value.

The domaine’s 12 ha are located in the villages of Savigny Les Beaune, Pommard and Beaune. Within Savigny, Jean-Michel has 5 different 1er Cru with Les Peuillets and Les Narbantons, on the Beaune side of the appellation, whilst the Aux Gravains, Aux Serpentieres and Les Talmettes can be found on the Pernand side.

The Savigny Les Beaune Blanc comes from two vineyards, the south facing, Aux Gollards and the East facing, Les Richottes. Unlike other vineyards at the village level, these two are not located between the two bands of 1er Cru vineyards, but are located at the top of the 1er Cru vines on the Pernand side of the appellation, next to the 1er Cru, Talmettes. The terroir here is argilo/calcaire and the vines range from 25 to 55 years. Vinification and elevage in barrique, with 10% new oak. The wine is aged for 11 months on the lees, with no battonage. The wine is bottled with a very light filtration and fining.

The super Savigny Les Beaune Rouge comes from 35 to 60 year old vines on similar clay/limestone soils from several different lieu-dites, Les Petits Picotins, Aux Fournaux, Les Bas-Liards, Aux Gollardes et Les Dessus de Vermots. Fermenation and malo-lactic in stainless steel tank and aged in barrel for 11 months, with 10% new oak. As usual, the wine has a glorious purity of fruit and expressive minerality, fine integrated tannin and refined balance. Full of charm and finesse.

These incredibly stylish Savigny wines have matured beautifully, displaying a wonderfully pure expression of the appellation, with exciting secondary nuances and real finesse. A perfect choice for Christmas!