Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Lavières" rouge AOC 2020

A Pinot Noir of silky, dense texture that holds ripeness and freshness together. The nose shows preserved cherries, almonds, violet and lavender, underpinned by earth, undergrowth and a hint of blood and yeast. A charmer, best enjoyed now on the fruit.

Savigny-lès-Beaune lies around three and a half kilometres northwest of Beaune and, with 383 hectares, has one of the most extensive vineyard areas in the region. Les Lavières stretches below Talmettes towards Pernand-Vergelesses; the name derives from laves, flat limestone slabs once used in Burgundy as roof tiles. Chandon de Briailles owns 2.61 hectares at the heart of this 17.66-hectare vineyard. The vines face south-southeast on sandstone, sand and marl, with iron-rich oolite in the upper part and crumbly reddish-brown limestone below.

Pure Pinot Noir from vines around 50 years old. Spontaneous fermentation in a wooden vat with a significant proportion of whole clusters, then transferred by gravity into barriques and tonneaux with a small proportion of new oak. There the wine aged for about 14 months without further movement and without racking; bottling was mostly done directly from the barrel, with minimal sulphur additions.

Silky and juicy, with plenty of dark fruit and a touch of undergrowth, plus a fruity-sweet note and delicate Indian spices. The tannin is polished, a few stems lend structure, and the acidity provides freshness and finesse, enhanced by the minerality of the old vines.

Sautéed veal with old-fashioned mustard sauce, rabbit terrine with figs or potato and porcini gratin.

François and Claude de Nicolay run this family-owned estate, held since 1834, biodynamic since 2005 and Demeter-certified since 2011. Four horses work the nearly 14 hectares of vines; in the cellar, the wine is neither fined nor filtered.