Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru "La Dominode" AOC 2022

A leanly built Pinot Noir that doesn't draw its depth from weight. The tannin stays silky, a fine austerity lends contour, and a taut, saline line runs through to the finish. A wine for the table that gains complexity with age.

Savigny-les-Beaune lies at the northern end of the Côte de Beaune, between Pernand-Vergelesses and Beaune; La Dominode is a Premier Cru vineyard of the commune. Domaine Bruno Clair, based in Marsannay-la-Côte, farms 27 hectares across eight villages of the Côte d'Or and bottles 32 appellations. The estate's heritage traces back to the marriage of Joseph Clair and Marguerite Daü in 1919. After the dissolution of Clair-Daü in 1985, Bruno Clair started afresh in 1986 with 7 hectares. Cover crops and forgoing herbicides have long been standard practice.

Pure Pinot Noir. In the cellar, as much is done as necessary and as little as possible: spontaneous fermentation, measured extraction, 20 to 50 percent whole clusters in the fermentation vat. Ageing lasts 18 to 20 months in barrique, with the proportion of new oak ranging between 20 and 50 percent depending on the wine. Clarification happens through extended settling rather than intervention, and the wine is bottled accordingly unfiltered.

Juicy ripe cherry and raspberry, layered with violet, fine spice notes and a hint of undergrowth. The line stays mineral and dry, the finish long and saline.

Since 2010 with Edouard, and since 2018 with Margaux and Arthur, the sixth generation is now involved: higher proportions of whole clusters, less sulphur. The house keeps a low profile, demand is high, and allocations are scarce.