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Simon Bize, Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru Rouge Aux Vergelesses, 2016

Red Wine from Burgundy, France
by Simon Bize
$179.99
Taxes and shipping calculated at checkout.
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The domaine's flagship premier cru, from the year Savigny nearly lost its crop. Aux Vergelesses is 1.9 hectares of steep, south-southeast-facing sandy marl and limestone at the Pernand end of the village, planted in stages in 1939, 1949 and 1954, and it is the wine by which Domaine Simon Bize is measured. On the night of April 27, 2016 a hard frost swept the Cote de Beaune, and Savigny-les-Beaune lost somewhere between a third and half of what it should have made; what survived then got a hot, dry, sunny late summer, so the reds ended up concentrated but with more freshness than the riper 2015s. Bize's house method is unchanged here: heavy whole-cluster fermentation, native yeasts, and only a small proportion of new oak so the site does the talking. At ten years old this is arriving at the start of its drinking window rather than the end, with the tertiary notes just beginning to show over the fruit. Stand it upright for a day, decant, and give it time in the glass.

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Antonio Galloni

91 points

"The 2016 Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Vergelesses 1er Cru opens up nicely in the glass with pretty red berry fruit, autumn leaves and light touches of leather. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. Quite minty with good concentration, this delivers fine weight and sapidity on the finish, with candied orange peel and aniseed on the aftertaste. I find this disarmingly attractive." —Neal Martin

Robert Parker

94 points

"The 2016 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Vergelesses is a stunning wine in the making, unfurling in the glass with a decidedly complex bouquet of rose petals, raspberries and cassis that mingle with notes of dark chocolate, grilled squab, licorice, spices and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, layered and beautifully concentrated, with superb depth and dimension, succulent acids and fine structuring tannins, concluding with a sapid finish. While quantities are small, Bize fans will not want to miss this Vergelesses." —William Kelley

More about Simon Bize

Domaine Simon Bize hasn't changed much of anything in the last couple of decades, but the world around them is starting to catch up. They have always used a high percentage of whole clusters during fermentation (dependent on vintage) and very little new oak. They're style is perfectly suited to the terroir of Savigny and their wines have always emphasized the more savory aspects of Pinot: spices, herbs and earthy, gamey sauvage.

This approach isn't new, in fact it is somewhat similar to how many of the domaines in Burgundy would have made wine 100 years ago. But in the mid 20th century innovators like Henri Jayer begin advocating for 100% de-stemming along with longer macerations etc. The idea was to counterbalance the cold and difficult growing conditions in the Cote d'Or. Fast forward 50-60 years and Burgundy's weather has warmed significantly.

The changing climate along with a shift in consumer preferences to less oaky, less powerful wines puts Simon Bize back in the height of wine "fashion". But even when the "style" eventually goes out of fashion it is unlikely that Bize will change a thing. That is the legacy of the late, great Patrick Bize, and now his wife and family continue the tradition.

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Roast squab or pheasant, beef bourguignon, mushroom and thyme tart, or aged Comte and Epoisses.

Tasting Profile

Red cherry and cranberry edging into forest floor, dried rose and gentle spice. Medium-bodied, with bright acidity, fine tannins that have softened but still frame the wine, and a long savory finish.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Pinot Noir

  • Vintage

    2016

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Sustainable

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Light Bodied

Map of Burgundy Wine Region

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Complete Guide to Burgundy

Burgundy is one of the world's most complex and rewarding wine regions — and one of the most misunderstood. This guide breaks it all down, from Chablis in the north to the Mâconnais in the south.

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