Just a stone’s throw from Savigny-lès-Beaune’s most celebrated Premier Crus, les Narbantons and les Peuillets, and just south of the grand cru hill of Corton, lies today’s unique lieu-dit. This particular parcel flies under the radar and consequently delivers a price-to-quality that simply does not happen in the Côte d’Or. A profound example that you should never judge a book by its cover, this wine’s special site and impeccable production deliver one of the most satisfying wines for its price in all of Burgundy. The Arnoux family, based out of Chorey-Les-Beaune, has been tending the soils of Burgundy for generations. The grandfather sold wine in barrel to negociants, the uncles began bottling wine in-house, and a great Burgundian domaine was born. Today, Pascal Arnoux is at the helm of the ship and has contributed consistency coupled with a traditional approach in the cellar and sustainability in the field. His father, a cooper, passed-down knowledge of oak usage, which also lends a secret ingredient to the recipe. After studying at the esteemed Lycée Viticole in Beaune, Pascal first joined the family business in 1990 then took full control in 2008. Under his guidance, the wines have never been better and continue to achieve greater levels of quality

 

During his tenure at the domaine, Pascal has implemented lutte raisonnèe farming methods, which translates to, “reasoned fight.” He farms organically, nurturing the soils to promote healthy roots and vines. His primary focus is to produce energetic, living soil as well as a thriving ecosystem to allow the varied terroir of each parcel to speak clearly though his wines. Today’s 2013 Les Pimentiers is sourced from a one-hectare, southeast-facing parcel that boasts 50-year-old vines rooted in red and brown limestone mixed with clay. The minerality, concentration and goût de terroir this special pocket lends the wine is closer in character to the greats of Corton and the Premier Crus on its border than the rest of the village. The fruit is hand-harvested, entirely de-stemmed prior to fermentation in stainless steel. The wine is aged for twelve months in only 10% new French oak, which allows a stunning snapshot of the incredible terroir and thriving life of the vineyard. When elevage is complete, the wine undergoes gentle gravity clarification and is bottled without fining or filtration. The result is a meticulously crafted example of red Burgundy that drinks like a Premier Cru for the price of a village-level wine.