Vertical Packs from Domaine Pavelot 2010-Today!
9/30/24 -
Jean-Marc Pavelot (Photo: Michel Joly for Becky Wasserman Selections)
A question that I get asked regularly as a wine professional is “how do you find value in Burgundy?” It's an age-old question and the answer can change constantly. Today I will skip the long answer and go to the quick and fast response: I believe there is value in Burgundy for all, as long as you are open to looking past flashy names! Today’s offer of value Burgundy comes from a name many might have heard before, but have often (for reasons I do not know) overlooked. The Pavelot family has been cultivating vines in Savigny-les-Beaune since at least the French Revolution, however, it was not until Jean-Marc joined in the 1980s that the estate achieved the level of quality it is now known for. Jean-Marc's son Hugues took over in the late 2000s and built on his father's work, always fermenting with native yeast, favoring minimal use of new oak, and most recently converting the farming fully to organic. As Jon Gilman writes in View from The Cellar #42 (November-December 2012): "it is hard to think of another domaine in Burgundy that has made the transition in recent times from father to son at the head of the estate so smoothly and with such a continuity of style." Jasper Morris of Inside Burgundy has said that Pavelot should be in the same conversations as Simon Bize when it comes to talking about Savigny-les-Beaune (and I couldn’t agree more). These wines are expertly made with incredible depth and concentration. They are built to last, yet offer a vibrancy and charm for those who are less patient. -Hanna Krilov
Outside of our incredible private cellar offerings, it is rare for us to be able to showcase wines that are already aged. What is even more rare is to then highlight those same perfectly aged wines alongside current vintage releases. This magical combination gives one the opportunity to see how a wine can develop from an estate, compare bottles to understand how vintage can affect a wine, or just to have a fun theme for a dinner party!
Today, we're excited to offer this aforementioned magical combination in the form of mixed 6-bottle and 3-bottle vertical offerings from Premier Cru sites in Savigny-les-Beaune from Domaine Pavelot!
Read below for additional technical information on each Premier Cru.
La Dominode is the Premier Cru that Pavelot has their largest holding of, a generous 2.22 hectare plot. Their vines are on a moderate slope and the age of 45% of the vines is 90 years! The remainder are about 30-50 years of age. The name of the vineyard is in reference to the Lord who originally owned the vineyard. La Dominode is looked at as one of, if not the best Premier Cru in Savigny! The Pavelots use about 15% whole cluster with ambient yeast fermentation. They implement punch-downs for the first 6 days of fermentation followed by pump-overs. They are aged in oak (1/3 new) for 12 months.
Aux Gravains gets its name from the gravel and mixed sediments in the soil. Their holding is on the lower part of a gentle south-facing slope. Again, there is a large portion of vines planted in the 1930’s with additional from the late 1990’s. The wine is made with 5-10% whole cluster with ambient yeast fermentation. Punch downs are used for 4-5 days followed by pump-overs before being aged 12 months in oak (25% new).
Aux Guettes gets its name from the verb guetter meaning 'to watch over," a reference to its high altitude. Pavelots vines here are at 300 meters of elevation, on a steep, south-facing slope. The vines average an age of 35 years. This wine is made with 5-20% whole cluster with 2-week ambient yeast fermentation. They punch-down for 4-5 days followed by pump-overs before being aged 12 months in oak (22% new).
