Becky Wasserman is a famous exporter of Burgundy and has become known as one of the best in the business. Some years back she purchased some finished, yet unlabeled, bottles of Domaine Simon Bize Bourgogne Rouge Les Perrieres for special clients in the USA. This is the same exact wine, bottle and cork used for Domaine Simon Bize, but with her own label. This special vineyard, Les Perrieres, was replanted in 1971 and sits at the top of the hill above Savigny, an area that is very rocky and windswept. Due to these factors, the Domaine picks this vineyard site about 2 weeks after their other holdings due to the slower ripening. The grapes are partially destemmed, fermented at cool temperatures then aged in mostly older oak barrels for about a year.

When I tasted this wine I was stunned by the quality. This wine has the classic complex Burgundian perfume we all look for in the region's wines. If the name Bourgogne is seen on the label, instead of the name of the village itself, it is typically the lowest priced wine of a producer and often comes from a location that produces simple, easy drinking wine designed for early consumption. This is not the case with this wine. For a Bourgogne Rouge, this wine displays an unusually high level of purity and complexity.

The wine has a light ruby color with a slight garnet hue on the rim which is typical of Red Burgundy when it reaches 5-10 years of age. The aromatics are complex and perfumed with the character of a Burgundy many times its price. Aromas of dried strawberry and red currant intermix with earth driven aromas of dried mushroom, potpourri and wild herbs. The flavors on palate are driven by notes of underbrush, fresh strawberry and red currant with very polished tannins. This wine is perfectly mature now and should be consumed in the next 2 years.  This is the best Bourgogne Rouge I have tasted in years and if you like great Pinot Noir from Burgundy, you will love this wine.