Domaine Jean-Marc et Hugues PAVELOT and Maison Hugues PAVELOT (Savigny-les-Beaune) -- 2023 Tasted from Drawn-off Samples
Hugues Pavelot said that he began the harvest around 8-9 September with the whites. Maximum for alcohols is 14º, most are 13-13.5º. pHs are relatively normal, 3,50/60 maximum. Part of the malolactic fermentations began early December, the others in early May, nothing later, and they finished in the spring. He used some whole clusters: a little in the Aloxe village, and for premier crus, it varies.
These wines are more solar in style than most of the 2023s I have been tasting.
There is very good quality here, and given that these are generally not from what the market considers sexy appellations, you can drink very well for relatively little money.
Note that in addition to estate wines, there are négociant wines made from purchased fruit; they are sold under the Hugues Pavelot label.
We start with the reds:
2023 Bourgogne
Red, spicy fruit, medium-light very pleasing. (86-89)
2023 Chorey-les-Beaune Les Beaumonts
Négociant wine. Round, ample, red currant fruit, simple, pleasing.(87-89)
2023 Pernand-Vergelesses
Négociant wine. Light in mouth, smooth, red fruits, good acidity, nice easy wine. (87-89)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune
Direct, pure red fruits, racy, nice acidity, freshness. Smooth texture. Half from the plain, one-quarter from the bottom of the hillside, one-quarter from the hillside. One-quarter is from vineyards classified as premier cru. (87-90)
2023 Volnay
Négociant wine. Red fruits, a bit darker than previous, some spiciness, smooth, long. Still quite young. From the lower part of the vineyards — clay soils. (87-90)
2023 Aloxe-Corton Les Cras
Red currant fruits, also some pomegranate, good acidity and freshness, not blocky or overly powerful as some Aloxes can be. (88-91)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Serpentières
Good density, but still with finesse, red fruits, a bit more dark fruit than previous wine. Fruity and pleasing for easy consumption but should age well. (90-92)
2023 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux
Négociant wine. Medium-full yet light on palate, juicy, red fruits with a little dark, good fidelity to terroir, nice acidity and hence minerality. (90-93)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets
Excellent precision, round, red currants, pomegranate, very elegant in mouth, good density, long finish. Finesse in spite of its weight. (91-93)
2023 Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes
Juicy, good depth, complexity, round in mouth, long, good structure. Easy to drink now but should improve with some age. (91-94)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Guettes
Intense, deep, a little harder in structure than the preceding wines and not as open, but there is clearly very good potential here (40% of this cuvée is still in cask and so not shown here). (92-94)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières
Dark fruit, chiseled structure, some tannin showing, depth, length in mouth, needs time but should be very rewarding. (92-95)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Gravains
Blackberry fruit, a little hot in mouth, rather rich for Savigny, needs time. 14º natural alcohol. (90-93)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru Les Dominodes
Layered nose. Dark fruits, less tannic than the Gravains, but plenty of material here. Good acidity and freshness for a wine from the southern slope of Savigny. Tannins but not as much as with Dominodes. Needs some time. (40% is still in cask and not included in this sample). (92-94)
White wines:
2023 Bourgogne-Hautes Côtes de Beaune Mont Battois
Minerality and richness, golden fruits, quite powerful for Hautes Côtes. Pleasing. (87-89)
2023 Chorey-les-Beaune Clos Margot
Négociant wine. Nice Chardonnay nose, apply, just a touch of spice. Spiced apple in mouth, not as rich as the Hautes Côtes de Beaune, but still has some richness, good length. (87-89)
2023 Beaune
Négociant wine from the Monée Rouge vineyard, but the name is not allowed on the label. Fresh apple nose and mouth, good acidity, chewy texture, dense, a little rustic but should smooth out with time. (87-90)
2023 Savigny-les-Beaune
Apple nose and mouth, finesse, smooth, long, still needs some time but promising. (89-91)
2023 Pernand-Vergelesses Les Belles Filles
Négociant wine. Nice minerality in nose. Nice acidity and freshness; round, smooth texture, good minerality in mouth, apple fruits. (89-92)
2023 Corton
Honeysuckle nose and mouth, medium-light, elegant, fresh with good acidity. Very nice, even if not exactly what I expect from Corton (it is less powerful — but that often is the case with the Corton-Charlemagnes, too). Charming. Original and unusual but quite pleasing. (92-94)