Savigny-Lès-Beaune
1er Cru Aux Guettes 2017
Balance and maturity are the two words that come to mind when Savigny’s vineyards are mentioned.
They are located three kilometres north of Beaune.
Origin
Savigny’s vineyards form a V-shape and are located at the meeting place of a valley and the plain, offering some of the most picturesque scenery in the Côte d’Or. These vineyards are of ancient lineage. For much of their history, they belonged to the domaine of the Dukes of Bourgogne, to neighbouring religious houses, or to the Knights of Malta. An imposing 14th century castle testifies to the appellation's aristocratic qualifications.
Located on the hillside below the Chenôve Woods to the east of the village, the plot "Aux Guettes" is facing due south. The soil is quite complex: mixture of limestone pebbles, scree and clay. This is one of the most famous climates of the appellation.
The name "Guettes" has its origin in the verb "watch". The name thus indicated the places in altitude where one could supervise the country and the roads.
Viticulture
Grape variety: pinot noir
Soils: complex, mixture of limestone, scree and clay.
Orientation: South
Surface area under vine: 0.3440 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 25 hL/ha
Average age of the vines: 45 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 11 September 2017.
The grapes were handpicked. They were sorted a first time in the vineyard and again on the sorting table when they arrived at the winery.
At the winery: The grapes were 50% destemmed and were gravity-fed into tanks. Maceration lasted a total of 13 days including 3 days of cold maceration (12°C). Fermentation used indigenous yeasts only (no additives such as enzymes or tannins were used). 4 punchings of the cap. Vinification without sulfur.
Ageing
Maturation: aged on the lees for 12 months with no racking using a proportion of 35% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: French oak barrels that had been toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a very delicate touch of oak to the wine.
Bottling
Bottling: The wine was not fined but was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in September 2018.
Number of bottles: 1,145.
Vintage
2017 – Finesse
The growing cycle was thrown off-kilter by a very cold winter, late spring frost, then optimal conditions for rapid flowering, sporadic hail, and summer drought. Harvesting began in early September in the sun, and after several lean years, the vines finally produced abundant grapes, although with significant differences in maturity between whites and reds and from one region to another, which called for strict sorting.
Ageing potential: from 6 to 10 years.
Tasting notes
The color is garnet red with dark red reflections. The complex nose exudes aromas of dried roses and black fruits. On the palate, this round and gourmet wine reveals some notes of coffee.
