2018 Louis Latour Savigny les Beaune Rouge, Burgundy

Savigny lès Beaune has always offered some of Burgundy’s best value Pinot Noir, combining the charm and perfume of the Côte de Beaune with a more approachable price tag than its famous neighbours. Louis Latour’s connection to Burgundy stretches back to 1797, and the house has long excelled at capturing the personality of villages like Savigny where elegance and drinkability take centre stage. The 2018 vintage brought warmth and generosity to the region, producing wines with ripe fruit and early appeal.

This is wonderfully open and inviting from the first pour. Ripe cherry, red plum and wild raspberry notes are layered with hints of dried rose petals, gentle spice and earthy woodland nuances. The warmer season gives the wine a little extra richness and softness, though there is still enough freshness to keep everything lively and balanced. Fine tannins frame the fruit without heaviness, while subtle oak brings a touch of cedar and warm spice through the finish.

This is Burgundy built for relaxed dinners rather than ceremony. Roast chicken with crispy skin, duck rillettes or a mushroom and thyme tart would all be excellent matches. It would also be superb slightly cool alongside charcuterie, good bread and a wedge of aged comté on a cool evening. Already drinking beautifully now, the wine offers that lovely stage where savoury complexity is beginning to emerge while the fruit remains bright and generous.