1997 Champy, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
(Magnum) Medium colour. The nose shows quite some oak overlaying roasted fruits. The palate is incredibly unruly but also quite fun – oak, astringent tannin and that same roasted fruit – you could never use the term ‘balanced’.
Rebuy – No
1997 Simon Bize, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Marconnets
(Magnum) Medium-plus colour. The nose is understated – actually quite tight. The palate is equally tight, the only forward aspect is the grainy astringency of the tannin, the fruit gives little away, though it’s ripe enough and shows no roast characteristics. In this format I wouldn’t be rushing to drink bottles, but I wouldn’t be searching them out either.
Rebuy – No
1997 Chandon de Brailles, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Lavières
(Magnum) This smells a little older than its years, but I have to say it smells wonderful – just wide, understated complexity. The palate doesn’t quite live up to the early billing as the main component is astringent grainy tannin. That the nose is so far ahead of the palate is a little worrysome and would dissuade me from looking for bottles, but if you have some, keep them locked for now.
Rebuy – No
1997 Jean-Marc Pavelot, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Aux Gravains
(Magnum) A deep, dank, underbrush nose with ripe fruit to match. Sweet, with high-toned fruit in the mouth and still some tannin too – though less astringent than the preceding wines. This is very good, but really does require another 3 or so years in the cellar – in this format anyway.
Rebuy – Maybe
1997 Bruno Clair, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Dominodes
Wide, sweet and interesting aromatics – some dried fruits in the background. Plenty of grainy tannin, but it’s ripe tannin – nice density and the fruit is pleasant enough. This is also very good and like the Pavelot also requires another 3 or 4 years in the cellar.
Rebuy – Maybe
a fistfull of 1997 savignys
10.7.2007