Simon Bize - Savigny-les-Beaune Les Fournaux 2018

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Savigny-lès-Beaune wine is produced in the commune of Savigny-lès-Beaune in Côte de Beaune of Burgundy. The Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) Savigny-lès-Beaune may be used for red and white wine with respectively Pinot noir and Chardonnay as the main grape variety. The name of the appellation is sometimes written simply as Savigny, without the -lès-Beaune suffix. The production consists of slightly over 85 per cent red wine, and slightly less than 15 per cent white wine. There are no Grand Cru vineyards within Savigny-lès-Beaune.

In 2008, there was 347.82 hectares (859.5 acres) of vineyard surface in production for Savigny-lès-Beaune wine at village and Premier Cru level, and 13,359 hectoliter of wine was produced, of which 11,443 hectoliter red wine and 1,916 hectoliter white wine. Some 249.96 hectares (617.7 acres) of this area was used for the red wines in 2007. The total amount produced corresponds to almost 1.8 million bottles, of which slightly over 1.5 million bottles of red wine and a little over 250,000 bottles of white wine.

For white wines, the AOC regulations allow both Chardonnay and Pinot blanc to be used, but most wines are 100% Chardonnay. The AOC regulations also allow up to 15 per cent total of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris as accessory grapes in the red wines, but this is not very often practiced. The allowed base yield is 40 hectoliter per hectare of red wine and 45 hectoliter per hectare for white wine. The grapes must reach a maturity of at least 10.5 per cent potential alcohol for village-level red wine, 11.0 per cent for village-level white wine and Premier Cru red wine, and 11.5 per cent for Premier Cru white wine.

Les Fournaux is the most eastern of the Savigny les Beaune premier crus. Mid-slope, just accross the road from Pernand-Vergelesses. It has the finesse of Vergelsses but with more power coming from the clay soils. The Bize parcel is one hectare and was planted in 1962 and 1963. "Les Fournaux" refers to an oven used for melting ore and alludes to open-pit mining.

Simon Bize Description

There are a handful of domaines in Burgundy that we think of as almost being synonymous with their village - Domaine Simon Bize is one of them.

“Is there a more under-appreciated great Burgundy domaine these days than Domaine Simon Bize et Fils? Both the red and the white wines here are absolutely stellar (and have been for generations), and yet, I always get the sense that the Simon Bize wines remain some of the best-kept secrets in all of Burgundy.” — JOHN GILMAN

The domaine has a long history, having been founded in 1890, and farms 22 hectares of vines. Their holdings are a laundry list of Savigny-les-Beaune's best sites, from perfectly situated lieux-dits to the best premier cru parcels of the appellation. Their house style is one partial to whole cluster fermentation for the reds and little to no new oak on both whites and reds.

A View from the Cellar: 92 Points

“The 2018 Fournaux is the lowest octane wine in the cellar this year at 12.5 percent, and it is excellent. The bouquet offers up a deeply black fruity mix of black plums, dark berries, bitter chocolate, gamebird, a hint of Savigny fruitcake tones and a fine base of dark soil. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and chewy, with a sappy core, fine mineral drive and a long, focused ant very nicely balanced finish. This is fine juice in the making.” John Gilman