Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Lavières is bright and generous. TASTING NOTES: This wine is lavish and textured. Enjoy its aromas and flavors of ripe strawberries and hints of savory spices with a garlic accented and rosemary-infused roast chicken. (Tasted: October 28, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières exhibits aromas of juicy cherries, rose petal, currant leaf, rich soil and warm spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, satiny and succulent palate, with melting tannins, juicy fruit and a sapid finish. The domaine's old vines in this superbly situated premier cru have put in a very strong showing this year, and like the Savigny AOC, this was already in bottle when I tasted it.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Savigny-lès-Beaune is a small village near Beaune that produces delightful red and white wines under its own appellation name. Cut by a river, the vineyards on its southern side have sandy soils that result in charming, floral reds. Premiers Crus vineyards on this side include Les Peuillets, Les Narbantons, Les Rouvrettes and Les Marconnets.
On Savigny’s northern side, bordering Pernand-Vergelles, vineyards are planted on rocky soils and produce juicy and spicy Pinot Noir. The village’s best whites, all made of Chardonnay, are full on the palate and abound in texture, complexity and freshness.