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Camus-Bruchon, Savigny-lès-Beaune, “Les Pimentiers”

Other, France 2015 (750mL)
$36.00
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Camus-Bruchon, Savigny-lès-Beaune, “Les Pimentiers”

Camus-Bruchon’s across-the-board Burgundy value continues to be a staggering achievement we can’t quite wrap our heads around. What today’s village-level “Les Pimentiers” lacks in official designation is quickly counterbalanced by its obvious substance and pedigree. The “Les Pimentiers” plot, just one mile from the base of Corton, is truly ancient—when America’s banks and brokers were scrambling on Wall Street in 1929, these vines were being planted!
Still, it takes more than ancient vines and prime real estate to craft a remarkable wine, which is where Domaine Camus-Bruchon comes into play. Though only three generations deep, this family-run estate has farmed diligently and crafted profoundly pure Pinot Noir, quickly securing a spot as a top Savigny producer while voicing a strong case to be incorporated into Burgundy’s finest! Once you climb into the upper-echelons of red Burgundy, it becomes prohibitively expensive in a hurry, so we were thrilled to previously offer their Premier Cru bottling “Narbantons” at what we thought was an unbeatable price. That in mind, when today’s even more affordable bottle was revealed to us, we threw up our arms in defeat. Les Pimentiers may not be a Premier Cru, but it sure as heck drinks like one at half the price.
Domaine Camus-Bruchon is a relatively new domaine in Burgundy, with Guillaume Camus representing the third generation. Though his father was actively involved until his passing last year, it was Guillaume's grandmother who single-handedly put the family estate together, selecting choice parcels across Savigny-lès-Beaune, Pommard, and Beaune. The family sold their fruit to négociants until Guillaume’s father, Lucien, took the reins, and the father-son team quickly became a local juggernaut. Already in the top rank of producers in the appellation, their star is still ascending, thanks in large part to their fanatical devotion to farming. Their wines are exceptionally pure and site-expressive; always bright, clean, and vintage-expressive. 

The family-owned parcel in “Les Pimentiers” was planted nearly 90 years ago, making it one of the Côte de Beaune’s oldest sites. This vineyard sits in Savigny’s low-lying plain, just a mile from the base of Corton—shown in this Google Maps picture. Soils here are a mixture of clay, limestone, and sand. Though uncertified, viticulture is incredibly important at Camus-Bruchon and their ‘lutte raisonnée’ approach closely mirrors an organic one: From pruning to harvesting, everything is done by hand. In the winery, the grapes were mostly destemmed before a 2-3 week fermentation. Following that, the wine aged in 20% new French oak for 15 months.

A deep ruby with slight magenta reflections, the vibrant 2015 “Les Pimentiers” reveals itself elegantly on the nose with bright notes of red and black cherries, black raspberry, red currant, purple flowers, rose stem, and subtle hints of baking spice. As it opens, further notes show themselves: tobacco leaf, forest floor, wild herbs, damp earth, cigar wrapper, vanilla bean, and a perfect balance of toasted oak. The palate is medium-bodied, silky, and full of savory earth and snappy rock minerality. A surging presence of ripe fruit on the entry confirms this is from the concentrated ‘15 vintage, but there is absolutely no lack of freshness on the finish. The amount of lift “Les Pimentiers” shows next to its backbone of silky tannins was a wonderful and well-received surprise. I recommend decanting for one hour and serving in your largest Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees for optimal results. This wine is really singing right now, but feel free to stow a couple away and revisit on its fifth and 10th birthdays—it won’t disappoint. Though a firm wine with plenty of ripeness, it also showcases a beautifully elegant side so bake a few salmon filets and partner it with a cherry-pepper glaze. Enjoy!
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Country
France
Region
Other
Sub-Region
FranceSavigny-lès-Beaune
Soil
Limestone, Clay, & Sand
Farming
'lutte raisonnée'
Blend
Pinot Noir 100%
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
20% New French
TEMP.
60-65
Glassware
Large Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
30-60 Minutes
Pairing
Black Pepper & Cherry Glazed Salmon

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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