2022 Domaine Pavelot - Savigny les Beaune La Dominode

Domaine Jean-Marc et Hugues Pavelot has passed from father to son for generations in Savigny-lès-Beaune, with Hugues now guiding the estate's roughly thirteen hectares in Savigny, Beaune, and Aloxe-Corton. The domaine's Savigny vineyards span two hillsides and the valley between them, with varied soils and exposures that let Hugues coax distinct personalities from each of his premier cru sites.

La Dominode is widely considered Pavelot's flagship, some say it would be Savigny's grand cru if the appellation had one. The east-facing plot sits between Les Marconnets and Les Jarrons on clay soil laced with sand, taking its name from the Latin "dominus," or lord, who once owned it. Vines run from around eighty years old to as young as ten. In 2022 whole-cluster use was trimmed to twenty percent to preserve acidity, and the wine ages twelve months in barrel, about thirty percent new.

Deep, intense garnet in the glass, the 2022 shows cherries, berries, licorice, and sweet spice, with an undertow of salt and earth. The palate is medium to full-bodied and concentrated, wrapped in sweet, powdery tannin built for the cellar. Give it time, then pour alongside beef bourguignon, wild boar, or a pungent washed-rind cheese like Époisses.