These 2012s were tasted at Chandon de Briailles in Savigny-lès-Beaune, 21 March, 2014.

One interesting wine (right) was made from 100% pinot blanc – there are 9 rows in Ile des Vergelesses – made like a red with plenty of skin contact. I thought it quite nice aromatically and rather mineral, but uninvolving, on the palate. For 2013 there is even a fortified Savigny on the way! Lavières was so decimated by the hail that they had just enough for two barrels – they will fortify with their own Marc de Bourgogne – let’s see!

Savigny-Lès-Beaune
It’s a wide and silky if rather modest nose. Also silky in the mouth though the tannin slowly grows a little more velvet. Fresh fruit in the finish. It’s certainly a cool rather than sweet fruit but I find lovely energy and a fine finish.

Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Lavières
A deeper nose, a little sweetness, a growing minerality and a faint floral note too. Full and round, some tannin but fine – no aggression. Nice wine.

Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Ile des Vergelesses
Faint reduction on the nose quickly lifts from the glass, replaced by floral and mineral dimensions. Very silky, cool fruit. Fine ripe tannin and a growing intensity. A very pretty wine that creeps up on you…

Corton-Bressandes
Easily the prettiest nose from these reds – again florality but with a little extra sweetness and depth. Lovely, silky concentrated wine flavour that seems to exponentially grow from the mid-palate. Very lovely!

Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Ile des Vergelesses (Blanc)
A nice fresh nose with good energy and a modest core of sweet fruit too. Wide, waxy texture, concentrated – there’s almost the texture and structure of a red wine here. Not super-energetic, rather contemplative and very, very tasty.

Corton (Blanc)
Oof! Full, concentrated aromatic – slowly growing higher tones and a little musk too. Silky in the mouth, more mineral too. A hint of salt and a simply super mid-palate. A real ‘food wine’ but impressively so!