Tasted in Premeaux with Hugues Pavelot, 27 November, 2014.
Domaine Jean-Marc et Hugues Pavelot
1 chemin des Guettottes
21420 Savigny-lès-Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 21 55 21
+33 3 80 21 55 21
www.domainepavelot.com
Hugues on 2013:
“What to say? Other than lots of hail. We averaged only 20 hl/ha for the domaine in 2013. There was more in 2012.
“The harvest was quite quick because we had so few grapes, but I had a great harvesting team that dropped all the dry stuff at the vines. The rest was removed by the vibrating table and final triage – there was very little rot to triage as there was so much air and ventilation around the grapes that survived the hail.”
The wines…
A really excellent range, despite the trials and tribulations of the vintage. I could easily have chosen all the Savignys to recommend!
2013 Savigny-lès-Beaune
A dark, precise and interesting nose. Quite full in the mouth – almost silky – and with very good mid-palate dimension. There is a little hardness in the finish but a wine of good density that communicates brilliantly.
2013 Aloxe-Corton
Also a fresh and precise nose – here with a little redder fruit. Wide and more supple in the mouth. Nicely high-toned fruit flavours, fresh in the mid-palate and a lovely stony length. Yum!
2013 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Peuillets
This nose is a little tight but offers a good width of aroma. Fills the mouth well, lithe rather than textured. Lots of complexity too – fine and fresh mid-palate flavour and a floral perfume in the finish – Super!
A deeper and darker nose – fresh with good precision. Lithe with lovely energy and complexity. Fresh flowers and fruit. A really beautiful Beaune!
2013 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Serpentières
Not the bass notes of the Beaune but it’s still a wide and expressive nose. A slightly heavier perfume in the mouth – with more heft and weight. A lovely, mouth-widening peak of flavour – impressive, but I slightly prefer the Beaune.
A super-expressive nose that also fills with flowers. Squeaky-clean and fresh – no fat – but plenty of dynamism. Growing tannin and lots of muscle and a fine silky tannin.
2013 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Les Gravains
More depth to this faintly creamy nose. Round and silkier – a little richer – yet more mineral too and faintly salted. A lovely peak of mouth-watering mid-palate flavour. Subtly long…
Fresh, focused, dark berries. A little fuller and rounder – no fat though some texture from the ripe tannin. Balanced with ripe fruit and fine complexity. A super wine.
Les Blancs…
2013 Savigny-lès-Beaune Blanc
from 2 parcels; Planchots in the plain and Vermots with later ripeness and more minerality.
Wide, fresh and a faintly textured nose with some minerality.. Full, round and with growing acidity – a faint salty edge but a more fruit-driven wine than the nose suggests. Lovely – no shame to drink and enjoy this is its youth…
2013 Corton Blanc
“One barrel from a south-facing plot under Charlemagne in an old quarry – old vines so always a small production. Got these vines back in 2008, and they weren’t in great shape, but they are coming along well.”
A fresh, muscled and quite impressive nose. Also fresh in the mouth too with lots of width and an intensity that peaks with the flavour. Super!