Back in June, I joined 4 friends for a tasting of Savigny les Beaune La Dominode wines at our usual restaurant of choice for these Burgundy explorations.
Starter:
2000 Domaine de Montbourgeau L'Etoile Cuvee Speciale. Three of us dug this wine and two most definitely did not—it is that sort of wine. It is a darker color than the bottle I first tried last year, but I still find the nose fascinating--with its aromas of praline, salted nuts, fino sherry, salt water, botanical herbs and peanut brittle constantly shifting and showing off different odd angles. In the mouth, it tastes of lobster bisque, Thai peanut dipping sauce, lemon sour ball, fine gin, sea salt, drawn butter and toasted walnuts. It is fresh, acidic, tangy and very complex, but also obviously oxidated, a bit austere and extremely dry. The prickly finish is very, very lasting—finishing with a fascinating final kick.
The wines:
2002 Domaine Pavelot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode. The nose here sports sappy dark cherry fruit, campfire embers, dark earth, cedar and a sliver of stripped evergreen branch. It is cool and moderately dark in tone, with a bit of Christmas spice and soft wood rounding it out nicely as the evening goes on. This really nice bouquet leads to a palate that is spherical and densely-packed in feel, but loaded with fruit flavor. It turns toward the dry side through the middle, with a good deal of earth tones and acidity to keep the fruit in check. Some late tannins and background wood come in and make it a bit more clamped down on the finish, so my advice would be to hold onto this promising beauty for another 3 to 5 years. My #3 wine of the night, but the group’s overall WOTN by whisker.
2001 Domaine Pavelot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode. The color here is a touch lighter than the previous wine and the nose is generally earthier in tone—with aromas of charcoal, smoke, leaves, sarsparilla and red flowers playing off of mixed currants, dark cherry, cranberry and lifted brambly bits. It feels lithe and lively, with a little hint of nuttiness emerging later on. It is more obviously fruity in the mouth, with a greater volume and more density of sappy dark cherry flavor than found in the previous wine. Underneath all of that, though, is a streak of sour acidity that leads to a drier finish. Like the previous wine, one senses the tannins and wood late, but here it feels a bit tighter and less obviously promising at this stage.
2000 Louis Jadot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode. This is by far the most advanced color of any of the five wines. Right from the very start, I love the bouquet, though for whatever reasons, most others at the table take a while to come around to enjoying it as much as me. It is delightfully floral--with scents of wilted roses, dried red fruits, dusty earth, cocoa powder, soft saddle leather and a small grind of white pepper all in a gentle feminine package. In the mouth, it is somewhat similar—with a gentle and pure red fruit and red flower personality that feels more open knit and welcoming. Flavors of cherry, raspberry, chalk and gentle spices are neither real deep nor particularly lifted—just resolved, easy-drinking and thoroughly enjoyable. There is not much acidic cut, and the structure is pretty gentle, but the easy acidity carries it along just fine and the well-balanced finish is a nice cherry on top. This was my WOTN and a close second place overall among the group (though with 3 first place votes out of 5).
1999 Domaine Bruno Clair Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode. This wine is densely-colored and looks limpid while swirling in the glass. It definitely is tight and densely-packed on the nose, though it offers up rich layers of candied cherry, black raspberry, liquid graphite, tomato plant and fine dusty earth. In the mouth, it is nicely sweet-fruited, with a good weighty feel and fine structure to it. It shows a good deal of expansiveness and pumps out nice flavors of rich cherry, black raspberry and mixed currant fruit to go with some savory leafiness. It has a nice creamy texture and a draped feel—ending with some chalky tannins and plenty of dark chocolate character. This is real nice, but should be even better in 5 years. My #2 wine of the night and the group’s #3.
2002 Louis Jadot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode. This wine has a nose that is full of macerated cherries, cigar ash and mossy greenery—though for the most part it is big-boned and singluarly-minded. In the mouth, it just seems gangly and out of sorts. It comes across as overt and obvious, and somehow a bit sloppy in its attempt to kick out the jams with all of its mixed berry fruit, chocolate and mocha flavors and sharp alcoholic warmth. The finish is tough and confused and the whole thing fails to connect at this point in time. I can’t tell if it is a poor bottle, in an angry phase or simply a wine to avoid. Last place wine for everybody.
-Michael