If you’ve looked at this site much, you will know that Burgundy is the driver of my wine desires. Sure I enjoy drinking all sorts of various wines depending on the meal, time of year, my mood, etc., but for me nothing compares to the excitement and flavors of Burgundy. Unfortunately for me and for many other lovers of delightful pinot noir, the prices in Burgundy have become somewhat ridiculous. Famous producers like Rousseau and Roumier now cost upwards of $200 for a village level wine!!! It’s crazy. I remember early in my wine collecting days, I was appalled at the prices for Bordeaux after the 2009/10 vintages and it basically pushed me away from the region. Now Bordeaux almost seems like value wine compared to Burgundy. Second growth wines from great vintages can be picked up for $100 or so while a taste of Richebourg will probably cost you $200 for a glass… So sadly, now when I try to introduce new wine drinkers to Burgundy, they are too often put off by the prices. Luckily, there are still some excellent and affordable Burgundies out there and I recently drank one of my favorites. Domaine Jean-Marc et Hugues Pavelot based in Savigny-Les-Beaune is simply put a stellar producer. Savigny doesn’t get many headlines which is the main reason these wines remain relatively reasonably priced. If these gems were from Chambolle or Vosne, I suspect the prices would be 2-3x what they are. Savigny wines can often be a little rustic with grainy tannins and consumers that prefer more elegant pinot noir may not enjoy the structure as much. Yet the Pavelot wines are quite pure and refined in comparison to many. While they definitely still have a fair amount of structure and remain very Savigny in their style, the tannins are integrated perfectly and a bit more suave in comparison. I recently drank a 2012 1er cru from Aux Guettes from Pavelot and it reminded me of why I try to buy some of their wines every year. A beautiful nose full of dark berry fruits, fresh turned earth, a bit of iron and sauvage, forest floor, and violets. The palate is structured, but the tannins just disappear in the fruit and humus flavors. The balance is lovely and while this is definitely still young, it is very enjoyable now with easily 5-10 years of further development. At $49 for a 1er cru from a good vintage, this is pretty good value in today’s Burgundy world. While that price range is certainly still quite high for many wine drinkers, I would put this and other bottles of the Pavelot 1ers up against wines that cost 2-3x that and guarantee that they will hold their own. So if you are looking for some value in today’s Burgundy world, it is definitely worth your time to sample a few bottles from the team at Domaine Pavelot. You really can’t go wrong with any of their 1er crus, but my personal favorites are La Dominode, Aux Guettes, and Les Narbantons.
J Newman Wine Revue 