I Love Savigny - Everything You Want in Burgundy, Yet Still Affordable Two Pinots from Old Vines: One Drinking Well Now and One for the Cellar

Burgundy is a strange and unique place. People have heard of other villages but everyone is so

involved in their own village they almost don't know of their colleague's existence. It's amazing who has heard of who and who hasn't heard of who. Many of my growers haven't heard of each other and some haven't heard of some of the top growers in the region. It's like being a baseball fan from Cleveland and being all in on the Indians yet not knowing the Yankees exist. Provincial is not nearly the word that can explain it. It's unique and part of its charm and it always surprises me that many in Burgundy have not heard of the venerable estate of Jean-Jacques Girard. Maybe my most consistent producer in Burgundy. This will be the fourth vintage we have worked together and the wines are as terrific now as they were on day one. I love that consistency. I think it is because they have seen it all. It's the oldest estate in Savigny-Les-Beaune. Whenever I taste at Girard now, I have an idea of what I want to taste and let them know before hand. This year I wanted to taste wine x and wine y which I've sold previous vintages of and I did, and while being terrific, we also tasted wines that I had not requested (Girard makes around 18-20 wines) and that is what will make up today's two wines. I went in wanting to sell x and y and now I am selling a and b. But I want to get everyone the highest quality wines and sometimes due to slight vintage conditions/variations (hail again in '14, quantities down significantly in 2014 here.) and the mystery of terroir a and b can taste better than x and y in vintage p. It happened at this tasting.

Today I have two utterly brilliant Savingy's from JJ. Girard and both are $33.99 per bottle on a 4-pack and they can be mixed and matched. This is some of the best value Savigny-Les-Beaune out there and Girard has old vines in each of these 1er Cru's. And make no mistake 2014 with its depth and precision, is the best red vintage here since 2012 and I like them better than the 10's in bottle I tasted on my first visit. The differences in all the Savingys was very pronounced. They are some of the cleanest pop and pour (with a minor decant) crackling, complex and crunchy, lacey burgs in the book and my  and many other's standard bearer for Savigny. Utterly classic red burgs from great old vine 1er Cru vineyards made by the oldest house in Savigny. Yes please.

Up first is the 2014 JJ Girard Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Narbantons" (there was none in 13 due to hail damage) which is a Burgundy lovers dream. As a dear friend of mine says you don't love Burgundy if you don't love Savigny-Les-Beaune. I tend to agree with her. It's so essentially Burgundy and provides thrilling values that people who drink the grandest of Grand Crus can fawn over and appreciate. The Narbantons has big nose of dark berries and freshly potted soil. Brambles galore. Big, sappy, earthy and dense palate here with the 14 depth and precision showing in spades. Cooling stoney minerality. Awesome structure and terrific and compelling inner mouth floral aromas. Very sweet fruit and unbelievably complex now. This is drinking so well now and will continue to over the next 10 years. I love this wine for how light yet dense, structured and complex it is. Savigny is like a rustic Chambolle sometimes and it really shows that side in this wine. It is an utterly classic expression of Savigny. And it was the co-star of the tasting. It's 33.99 on a 4-pack.

Up next is the 2014 JJ Girard Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Lavieres" which is the most structured of the Savingys in Girard's lineup and needs 3-5 years in the cellar. From a parcel planted in 1976 and and also some much older parcels as well with vines on average 50 years old. Deep, beautiful licorice nose. Shimmering and pure on the nose. So fresh and so clean with great power, sap and concentration. Brilliant structure and intensity. So dazzlingly pure and deep. that one may be tempted to open it today but its pleasures are hidden. The precision of the vintage I think makes this Lavieres stand out even more than the 12. Terrific silky tannins slip all over your mouth. The tannin quality is particularly noteworthy as this is the most refined and complex wine here besides his Corton in my experience. Fans out very long on the finish which suggests long aging. I'd hold for 3-5 years an and enjoy over 15.

Quantities are VERY low this year for these two wines in particular but I still wanted to offer them.

2014 Jean-Jacques Girard Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru "Narbantons" - $35.99 ($135.96 4-pack) 

2014 Jean-Jacques Girard Savigny-Les-Beaune 1er Cru "Les Lavieres" - $35.99 ($135.96 4-pack)