2008 Savigny Les Beaune Aux Guettes

Gum-numbing astringency somewhat hobbled the Bize 2008 Savigny-les-Beaune Aux Guettes, though I tasted it very soon after its bottling, so perhaps that will soon have moderated. The fact that (in a vintage where Bize considerably reduced his regimen of vendange entier) this wine included 100% of its stems may be contributory to the aforementioned tanninity. Bright, tart red currant, hints of leather, and a suffusion of chalk make for an otherwise slightly austere but ultimately formidably penetrating performance. Give this another look in 2011 or 2012 and – if the signs prove positive – then it will still probably need some years to show its best and end up being viable for a decade. Patrick Bize’s 2008s did not finish their malos until they were one year old, a statistic only slightly less startling given the vintage than it would otherwise be. (By contrast – and again, not all that exceptionally for their vintage – the 2009s had, despite Bize’s notoriously cold cellars, already done malo by February … the February after harvest, that is!) This domaine has long and with good reason counted as one of its village’s top performers – if not number one – and while its collections in 2008 and 2007 do not approach the superb quality achieved here in 2005, young Bize wines – like the man himself – are lean, sinewy, frequently understated yet incisive, and have a habit of making fools of their critics. They often “come from behind” in ostensibly “lesser” vintages, and not only the 2008s here but also the surprisingly energetic, focused 2007s should prove fascinating and rewarding to follow over the coming decade. A Becky Wassserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet, Beaune; fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70