2018 Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot Aux Guettes Premier Cru Savigny-Les-Beaune, Burgundy

The 2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune Aux Guettes 1er Cru offers crisp brambly red berry fruit mixed with sous-bois and faint tobacco aromas on the nose. The oak here is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a fine bead of acidity. A little spicier than the Les Lavières, with a chalky, energetic finish. Superb. Drink 2022-2030 

91-93 points Neal Martin vinous.com Jan 2020

It's tricky to choose between Hugues Pavelot's Savigny Premiers Crus, such is their consistent quality in 2018, but this very low-yielding 1.5-ha site is truly outstanding. Sourced from very poor, limestone-based soils, it's chiselled, refreshing and sappy, with well-judged 20% whole bunches, fine, floral fruit flavours and just a hint of oak spice. Drinking Window 2023 – 2030

94 points Tim Atkin decanter.com

Here there is enough reduction present to knock down the underlying fruit, but the nose appears to be notably ripe. Otherwise the sleek, intense and tautly muscular mineral-laden flavors possess excellent vibrancy while delivering fine length on the firm, youthfully austere and even firmer built-to-age finish. This too is going to need at least some patience as it's presently very tightly wound.

90-92 points Burghound

Domaine Jean-Marc & Hugues Pavelot is one of the benchmark estates of Savigny-lès-Beaune, with generations of the family deeply rooted in this quieter corner of the Côte de Beaune. Jean-Marc and his son Hugues have built their reputation through meticulous vineyard work and wonderfully traditional, understated winemaking. Aux Guettes is one of Savigny’s notable Premier Cru vineyards, sitting high on the slope where its position gives the wine structure, savoury character and excellent ageing potential.

The warm 2018 vintage produced ripe, generous wines across Burgundy, and Savigny benefited from the extra richness while retaining its naturally energetic personality. Aux Guettes’ limestone and clay soils bring firmness and an earthy backbone, while Pavelot’s restrained hand in the cellar keeps the fruit clear and the oak comfortably in the background. With several years in bottle, the wine is now beginning to reveal some delicious secondary complexity.

Bright garnet with ruby still at the core, the nose opens with Morello cherry, wild raspberry and red plum before revealing violet, dried thyme and orange peel. With air come forest floor, black tea, porcini and a little warm earth. The palate is supple but structured, with ripe red fruit wrapped in fine, savoury tannins and fresh acidity. Sour cherry, dried herbs and earthy spice gather through the middle before a long finish with mushroom, tea leaf and a cool stony note.

This is calling for roast duck with lentils, pork tenderloin with mushrooms and mustard, pigeon with porcini, coq au vin or a bubbling tartiflette. Our pick is the pork with mushrooms caramelised edges, Dijon, cream and earthy mushrooms against mature Savigny sounds like a very good reason not to invite too many people.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2035.