Looking out at the majestic hill of Corton to the north, Savigny-lès-Beaune can be commonplace or awe-inspiring; Camus-Bruchon’s 2021 “Cuvée Reine Joly” is most definitely the latter, one of the best wines we’ve tasted from this underrated village. Although Camus-Bruchon is a relatively new domaine in Burgundy, they are a true testament to the classic Burgundian refrain, “great wine is made in the vineyards.” Already in the top rank of producers in the appellation, their star is still in its ascent, thanks in large part to their fanatical devotion to farming. Few producers anywhere in Burgundy are able to capture aromatics as pure to their terroir, and to the power of Pinot Noir to transfer that soil into the glass, as Guillaume Camus.
Savigny-Lès-Beaune is a small Burgundian hamlet nestled in a combe (small canyon) a few miles northwest of the main hub of Beaune. The geology here is the same as more famous neighbors like Volnay or Corton, but historically the slightly cooler temperatures and slightly less sunny exposures made these wines less desirable. But with temperatures ever on the rise now, this is a prime village for classically styled red Burgundy, and still offers excellent value to boot.
Guillaume Camus represents “just” the third generation at the estate. It was Guillaume's grandmother—for whom this cuvée is named—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 has become their own little juggernaut in Savigny, garnering rave reviews and critical acclaim for their work in this often overlooked village.
Cuvée Reine Joly is assembled from three diverse vineyard parcels, with soils ranging from sandy clay to shallow stony clay over a base of limestone. The pristine fruit is cold macerated, de-stemmed, and fermented with only indigenous yeasts over the course of 15-20 days. The wine is aged on its lees in 3- to 4-year-old French barrels for 10-15 months and is bottled without filtration in order to retain the “natural balance of fruit and tannins.” And what balance!
The 2021 Cuvée Reine Joly displays a bright ruby core with light garnet reflections on the rim. A concentrated nose full of black cherry, strawberry, goji berry and huckleberry is so clear and clean it reveals Burgundy at its purest. The fruit is laced with complex aromatics of violets, rose petals, a hint of forest floor, tree moss, a touch of mushroom and crushed earth. The palate is medium-plus in body and reveals a sweetness of fruit that is incredibly fresh–pure Pinot perfection.
