Domaine Simon Bize is one of Burgundy’s greatest estates, period. But because its supremely refined reds are from Savigny-Lès-Beaune rather than, say, Vosne-Romanée or even neighboring Aloxe-Corton, they remain within the reach of less-affluent collectors—if you can find them, that is.
The Bize family has been a fixture in Savigny since the 1880s and their wines have long existed on their own qualitative plane, so to speak, free from the constraints of Burgundy’s classical hierarchy. Today’s wine is perhaps the ideal example, coming as it does from the great 2014 vintage and the Savigny-Lès-Beaune Premier Cru “Aux Vergelesses”: It doesn’t get more ‘Grand Cru in disguise’ than this, as the savviest Burgundy collectors have long since figured out. This wine leaves no doubt whatsoever that it is top-of-the-pyramid red Burgundy, with a taut structure for extended aging and such purity, polish, and symphonic aromatics that it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Six bottles of this (all we can offer, unfortunately) for your cellar is one of the shrewdest wine investments you’ll ever make—I can’t put it more clearly than that—and, much as I’d selfishly prefer to keep the population of Bize fanatics low, this is way too good not to share. Jump on this before it disappears!
As SommSelect subscribers know, both Savigny-Lès-Beaune and its immediate neighbor, Pernand-Vergelesses, are extremely fertile hunting grounds for reds and white alike that compete with—or outperform—the wines of the Corton hill just across the way. And for reds especially, Savigny is the place to be: It is one of the few villages/appellations in the Côte de Beaune with considerably more red wine production than white (90%-10%), and the Premier Cru “Aux Vergelesses” is arguably the best-positioned red wine vineyard in the village (although it is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay both). Running up to the border with Pernand-Vergelesses and perched upslope from the celebrated “Ile des Vergelesses” Premier Cru, the south/southeast orientation of Aux Vergelesses resembles that of the Pinot Noir-dominated Grand Crus of Corton’s eastern slope (“Renardes,” “Bressandes,” “Clos du Roi,” etc.). The combination of aspect and altitude in Aux Vergelesses lends its reds the sublime combination of ripe cherry fruit and perfumed tension that distinguishes great red Burgundy from just about anything else in the world.
The founder of the domaine was named Simon Bize, as was his son and his son after that. The modern era was overseen by Patrick Bize, who took the reins in 1972 and passed away at a relatively young age in 2013. Now its Patrick's wife, Chisa, and sister, Marielle, who lead the charge, implementing organic and biodynamic farming practices in vineyards mostly clustered in Savigny but extending to Corton and up to Gevrey-Chambertin as well. Theirs are the epitome of classically styled Burgundy wines: taut, ethereal, and occasionally reticent in their youth, but promising amazing things to those with a little patience.
Our experience with today’s profound 2014 went about as expected: It started out pretty and tense, clearly a wine of real breed but needing some air, and as it got some it got better and better—not just over the course of hours, mind you, but days. If you were to open a bottle now, I’d insist you track it this way rather than downing the bottle all in one sitting. In the glass, it’s a medium ruby/garnet with hints of pink at the rim, with tantalizing aromas of red and black cherry, wild strawberry, cranberry, tea leaves, lilac, wild herbs, and underbrush. At this moment, it needs at least an hour in a decanter to unravel a bit, and it does, but the peak drinking window for this wine is still a few years down the line—I’d say start breaking into your stash in 2022 or thereabouts, confident in the knowledge that this is a 20-year wine. It has a medium-bodied feel right now but it is sneakily powerful and focused, just bursting with potential energy. I’m excited about it, and am already fantasizing about pulling a bottle from the cellar years from now. Serve it in large Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees with an old-school beef bourguignon or maybe a leaner cut with some red wine-sautéed mushrooms. Keep it simple and let this luminous wine shine. It’s a keeper!
