Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Lavières" rouge 2018

A dense, earthy Savigny-lès-Beaune full of energy and minerality. The nose is ripe and intense: first peony and violet, then red and dark berries, both fresh and compote-like, sweet cherry, a touch of sour cherry and blood orange, underscored by fresh yeast dough and forest floor.

Les Lavières lies in Savigny-lès-Beaune, around three and a half kilometres northwest of Beaune, towards Pernand-Vergelesses. Of the vineyard's 17.66 hectares, Chandon de Briailles farms 2.61 hectares at its very heart. The name derives from "laves", flat limestone slabs once used in Burgundy as roof tiles too. The roughly 50-year-old vines face south-southeast on sandstone, sand and marl, with ferruginous oolite above and crumbly reddish-brown limestone below.

A pure Pinot Noir, spontaneously fermented in a wooden vat, with a fairly high proportion of whole clusters. The wine then flows by gravity into barriques and tonneaux with a low proportion of new oak, where it rests for around 14 months without racking or any further movement. Bottling is done with minimal sulphur, usually straight from the barrel.

Juicy, soft, silky, with a slightly lactic edge and 12.5% vol. The tannin is ripe and polished, the stems lend cool, green counterpoints, and the acidity stays taut and clear. On the palate, forest berries, above all blueberry. The finish is long, lightly salty and a touch peppery.

Sliced venison liver with caramelised apple, ravioli filled with pheasant in sauce Choron, or oven-braised potatoes gratinated with Gruyère and porcini mushrooms.

Since 2005 siblings François and Claude de Nicolay have farmed biodynamically, and since 2011 the estate, acquired by the family in 1834, has carried the Demeter certification. The vines are worked with horses, ageing takes place in a 12th-century cellar, and the wine is neither fined nor filtered.