2016 Domaine Jean-Marc Pavelot Savigny-les-Beaune Blanc, Cote de Beaune

The Pavelots have been cultivating vines in the village of Savigny-lès-Beaune since the French revolution, but it was Jean-Marc’s father who began domaine bottling after returning from the war. Jean-Marc really put the domaine on the map in the 1980s and assisted by his son, Hugues, has been quietly producing excellent wines ever since.

The domaine covers 12 hectares and specializes in Savigny-lès-Beaune. A healthy proportion is in old vines planted between the wars – notably Narbantons and parts of Gravains and La Dominode. Viticulture is according to Lutte Raisonée principles.

The grapes are destalked without crushing, given two to three days cool maceration (previously rather longer) then macerated in a mix of cement, stainless steel and – for the premiers crus – wooden tanks, with punching down at first followed by pumping over towards the end of fermentation. The wines then spend 12 months in wood, without racking, and with little reliance on new oak – one third for the Dominode but otherwise between 15 and 25% for the village and 1er cru wines. Hugues has not sought to change much of his father’s successful regimen, but if anything there is a move towards a slightly longer but gentler treatment of the wine during fermentation.

The fruit quality of the Pavelot wines is superb, but these are not simple and forward by any means. There is a solid structure behind each of these wines, quite tannic in some of the Savigny cuvées, which safeguards their ageing potential.