- The Oldest Estate in Savigny
- Girard Knows This Terroir Like None Other
- His 2018's Are Sappy and Deeply Fruited
- They Almost Strut While Showing Their Sense of Place
- He's Almost Impossible to Beat in Burgundy at These Prices
2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Rouvrettes"
- Savigny Les Beaune: A Burgundy Lover's Burgundy
- The Soul, The Truth of Burgundy
- At $36.99 An Absolute Steal
- Wide Open with a Deep Penetrating Pinot Perfume
- Graceful and So Elegant
- Fruit is Deep Red and Black Cherries
- Vivid, Explodes on the Palate
2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Peuillets"
- Mineral and Wet Earth
- Juicy, Absolutely Beautiful Crunchy Ripe Fruit
- Tiny berry intensity
- Long Finish of Huge Fruit, a Hint of Mineral
- The One to Drink Young of the Pair
- 90 PTS, BH
"Jean-Jacques Girard enthusiastically described 2018 as the "best that I have ever seen, and I've been doing this for a long time. In my view 2018 is a historic vintage that will age for years." Burghound
The BLQ
The BLQ is what I like to call the "Burgundy Love Quotient."You can drink Champans, Vosne Romanee, Corton Bressandes, Chambolle Musigny and all the rest of the great wines of Burgundy.And I love drinking them as well.But I'll be honest, I generally drink the more famous (and expensive) wines with friends or at special occasions.What I drink every day is what most people drink every day. Wines from Savigny, Chorey or maybe Volnay. You want something perhaps a little less complex or a little less extravagant for every day drinking. And I'm selling 2 wines today that are among the best examples of that idea.
A very good friend and early member of the list at Fass Selections is someone whose palate I respect 
immensely. But I also respect her attitude about wine. She says, and with aplomb, "You don't truly love Burgundy unless you love Savigny Les Beaune." Savigny Les Beaune will never be the best wine in a tasting of Gevrey 1er Cru's or Vosne Romanee 1er Crus. If you think that it is not worthy because of that, then that's a mistake.
immensely. But I also respect her attitude about wine. She says, and with aplomb, "You don't truly love Burgundy unless you love Savigny Les Beaune." Savigny Les Beaune will never be the best wine in a tasting of Gevrey 1er Cru's or Vosne Romanee 1er Crus. If you think that it is not worthy because of that, then that's a mistake.
Burgundy, more than any other wine region, in order to truly appreciate it has to be taken in context. If not, you'll get all messed up from the high prices and blingy appellations. Every appellation and every village is very worthy in Burgundy. The monks who mapped out the vineyards deserve every bit of praise as the Egyptians did for the pyramids. It's remarkable.
Savigny will always however be the best wine when you open it up that night. It's so satisfying. It's so authentic. It's so comforting. It's an old friend showing up at your door with a roast chicken, potatoes, the complete box set of LOST and they are wearing clothes you are familiar with. You have seen them in that scarf jacket combo 100 times and it is so utterly familiar that you know, that chicken, those potatoes, that box set of LOST and that person is going to deliver on a great experience and evening. It's inevitable.
JJ Girard - The Master of Value Burgundies
We sell more Girard under $50 than anyone else and there is a reason. They punch way way above their weight, they are transparent and have wonderful, deep, fleshy ebullient fruit that is accessible to wine geeks and normal people alike. You don't have to wait for many bottlings and the ones you do its only 4-6 years and totally worth the wait. I love Girard. Every bottle is great. With short term aging they can become magical and with long term aging they can compete with more famous villages as JJ Girard is so good at making wine. I'm still waiting on my case of 2012s in 7 more years. I had a client from Canada whose Burgundy palate I respect immensely and he said that this estate reminds him of the serenity, purity and profundity of the great Jean-Marie Fourrier. That's high high praise.
The Wines
Up first I have one of my favorite 1er Cru values in the whole book. The 2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Rouvrettes" can be had for $36.99 on a 4-Pack today. This wine is just exuberant right now and usually is the most forward of the Girard Savigny 1er Crus. It is wide open with a deep penetrating Pinot perfume. Red cherries and berries galore. There is almost a lipstick-like intensity to the pungency of the fruit. One of those noses you can stand on a table with the glass being placed on the table and you can still smell the wine. (Don't try this at home.) There's glorious spice and all types of limestone minerality. Just a glorious perfume. Despite it being ripe, there is grace and elegance aromatically.
The palate is just unreal and by far the best of the 4-5 vintages I've tasted of Girard Rouvrettes. It's typically a cooler site and 2018 works so well here. Lush, plush, sappy and all brought together by awesome acidity and that hint, just hint of Savigny herbaceousness which I adore. The texture is like velvet yet it's structured, ripe and so sappy from the acids and thoroughly ripe fruit. The fruit is super deep and precise red and black cherries. But all the good, small tight cherries. This just explodes in one's mouth like a mouthful of those cherries right off the tree. Man is this vivid. This is big and large scaled for a Rouvrettes but is so balanced and shows incredible depth. Wow, is this a value. Terrific balance and freshness and just explosive and oh so velvety. Super pure and sappy. Rouvrettes is clay/limestone and the vines are 40+ years old.
Up next is the 2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Peuillets" for $41.99 a bottle. A steal here as the great Burghound gave this 90 points. What a wine this is. Another brilliant Savigny in a long list of brilliant Savignys from Girard. Dark color for a Girard and a very deep and serious nose. Extremely high toned. Mixed bright mid season rainer cherries with ultra ripe morellos as well. Beautiful deep wet earth notes. Layered and very deep. Really gets deep into the nasal cavity. Just ethereal. Mineral and wet earth, hint of cherries on the very very earthy nose. Also big time fresh mint. Juicy and absolutely beautiful crunchy ripe fruit. Wow what gorgeous pure and sleek fruit. Elegant and barely there there tannins that are thoroughly ripe and so silky. They are like a powder and very high quality. Juicy finish that pumps out fruit to the freshness. Tiny berry intensity. Big glycerin. So intense for a Peuillets. Super complex with insane concentration but the fruit is so beautiful you don't find it at this level that much but we do in 2018!because of the perfect growing season to be able to pick when they wanted to. Long finish of huge fruit and a hint of mineral. The vineyard is more stones and sand and gives this Pinot the proper amount of fortitude to drink well young. This will still age for many years. 5-10? Who knows!
"Enough wood to merit pointing out frames the ripe aromas of poached plum, dark currant and subtle spice nuances. The palate impression of the delicious middle weight flavors is also quite refined with good detail and plenty of punch on the sneaky long finish. This too could be enjoyed young if that's your preference." 90 Points, Burghound
2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Rouvrettes" - $38.99 ($147.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $3.88)
2018 JJ Girard Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru "Les Peuillets" - $43.99 ($167.96 4-pack) (*Including Tariff of $4.50)
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