From: Burgundy, France
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Taste: Talmettes is a steep, south-facing vineyard just beneath the forest, with little topsoil over its stony, white, chalky soils. Though this wine may be the best for cellaring, it also is aromatically pleasing, even in its youth. Taut, red currant & wild strawberry meet pressed rose, and a multitude of "blossoming garden" aromas meet spicy, savory notes that'll make you hungry and thirsty in the same breath. Imagine, say, shiso meets sweet fruit and clove. Those tannins are no joke for right now, and we recommend waiting a bit before enjoying the wine; we're going to open a bottle in the next month or two and another in the fall to see how this continues to unfold. It's amazingly pretty, but it's tight right now & patience is required to get the most out of this beauty. We'll continue to update as we taste. (January 2023)
Update: May 2024. Holy wow, did a year make a world of difference. This wine is beginning to open up wonderfully, and the fruits listed above are more lifted and effusive, the tannins reigned in (still there, but not overpowering), and it’s drinking beautifully. It could use about 30-45 minutes of air or another year or so, but it’s showing well, and we’re loving the progress this wine has made since early last year.
Pairing: The usual suspects apply here; roasted or braised beef (ie Boeuf Bourguignon), poultry like roasted chicken or Coq au Vin, duck confit, and game meats like venison (chicken fried for us please but only because we’re in dire need of comfort food). For veggie-based meals, lean into all the mushrooms you can! Basically, anything that combines elements of umami while staying away from dishes that carry too much acid, heat (spicy), and citrus (though orange citrus works in balanced doses!). We’re going with elements both classic and new in our earthy & cheesy vegetarian pairing suggestion today, noted below. Happy dining!
Fried Mushroom and Cheese Empanadas
Recipe from Casa Lapostolle
Adapted by Florence Fabricant
From an interview with Ola Bergman, 2020.
The six Savigny-lès-Beaune premier crus of Domaine Philippe & Arnaud Dubreuil look as if they have been placed there for educational purposes. Nicely lined up across the eastern part of Savigny-lès-Beaune, from one side to the other, from the bottom of the slope to the top, they illustrate the differences in character. Tasting the wines side by side will give you an idea of the impact of the variations in soil, exposure etc.
In terms of surface area Savigny-lès-Beaune is one of the major villages in the Côte d’Or. 358 hectares of vineyards in total. Like many other growers here Domaine Philippe & Arnaud Dubreuil has its vineyards in Savigny and the neighbouring villages. From 45 parcels in five villages – Beaune, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny and Savigny-lès-Beaune – Arnaud Dubreuil produces 15 wines.
– Growing up I wanted to become a horticulturist, a gardener, says Arnaud Dubreuil. As I grew older I found it more logical to take on the family domaine instead. I love working outdoors.
Domaine Philippe & Arnaud Dubreuil is a bit unusual in the sense that everything is sold directly to private customers. There is no export, no distributors or resellers. The only exception is a small portion of grapes sold to Bichot, the négociant, thanks to an old agreement.
– I took on the domaine in 2010, explains Arnaud Dubreuil. By then I had been working together with my father for ten years. My grandfather created the domaine in the 1950s. Then my father set up his own in the 1970s. When my grandfather retired my father brought together all the vineyards from the two domaines.
Since then Arnaud Dubreuil has added another two and a half hectares to the domaine, making the total surface area 12,5 hectares. 80 per cent of the production is red wine, the rest is white. Domaine Philippe & Arnaud Dubreuil also shares its past with another Savigny-lès-Beaune domaine, Domaine Simon Bize.
– Bize is an old family, says Arnaud Dubreuil. My grandmother was a Bize. Patrick Bize was my father’s cousin. In the past Domaine Dubreuil and Domaine Bize were the same domaine.
– The great grandparents Bize had vineyards. My grandmother got some of them and that was what my grandfather started out with. He originally came from a village in the plains, not far from Beaune.
...
– Just above you also have Les Talmettes and Les Vergelesses. Les Talmettes is a small appellation as well. Just four owners – Bichot, Chenu, Bize and I. It is just below the forest and the soil is very stony. In fact there is not much soil at all. It can be a problem in dry years, but the wines have more body. They are better suited for keeping. The tannins are tough when the wines are young, so they need time.
– Les Vergelesses is even higher up, where the slope turns towards Pernand-Vergelesses. In Savigny this is where you find the most full-bodied and powerful wines. There is very little soil there, so the vines have to fight for their existence.
