Domaine R. Dubois & Fils Savigny Les Beaune 1er Cru “Les Narbantons”
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Calcareous clay soil with limestone dominance, and a gravelly texture or stony. The soils of Savigny are light and not very fertile soils, which present the optimal conditions for making excellent wines.
- The plot is 45 years old. The Savignys develop harmoniously between 3 and 10 years. For “the Narbantons” 6 to 8 years old will allow them to reach the climax.
- They will be maintained at approximately 15-16° C, a good average temperature for all the wines of Burgundy.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: The harvest of the grapes is done traditionally. After reception at the estate, the grapes are placed in vats for 12 to 15 days. The first 3 days temperature is maintained between 16 and 18° C. This technique makes it possible to preserve the maximum of aromas in the wine. Then the temperature of the tank passes between 28 and 33° C. During this period 2 actions take place:
– Fermentation which transforms sugar into alcohol
– Maceration, which transmits the color and constituents of the grape to wine. This is improved by punching down and pumping over. When the wine is obtained, we press.
Tasting Notes: The Savignys have a beautiful color intensity. Their bouquet is elegant and floral, quite powerful, marked by a dominant morello cherry- blackcurrant-raspberry, evolving towards strawberry and undergrowth after a few years. The premier crus, more robust, lack neither character nor power; they require longer aging.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The history of Dubois winegrowers begins around 1600 with the birth of Emiland Dubois, the first ancestor and winegrower to be found in official records. More recently, Louis Dubois (1874 – 1947) took over his first plot of vines in 1898, then developed the estate with 5 acres of vines in the village of Premeaux-Prissey and Nuits-Saint-Georges. His son, Robert (1910 – 2004), devoted his life to the estate’s vines, and further increased its size by acquiring his first Nuits Premier Cru plot in 1961. Régis Dubois (born 1939), took up the reins with his wife Christiane, and extended the vineyard from 10 to 25 acres, and then to 50 acres. To increase the value of the wine, he began to bottle the production from 1969 onwards. Presently, Régis manages the technical matters of the domaine.
The fourth generation begins in 1969 with the birth of Raphaël. Since 2006, the vineyard has been managed by Raphaël and his sister, Béatrice Dubois. Raphaël oversees the marketing of the wines and public relations. Béatrice is an oenologist who is truly passionate about wine. She divides her time between producing, analyzing and monitoring the estate’s wines, and customer tastings all over the world, which have now replaced her vinification work in the southern hemisphere.