1990 Domaine Leroy Savigny-lès-Beaune Les Narbantons 1er Cru
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Tasting notes
Pale ruby red but very bright. Intensity on the palate with some light dustiness on the nose. I wonder if this is losing fruit? Put it out of its misery?! Very clean cut with direct fruit but a little drier than the wonderfully expressively fruity wines made today. This was only Lalou's second or third vintage after all – before the full effect of biodynamics had kicked in. Wonderfully rich, if slightly bricky, aftertaste. You can see what she was aiming for but she's not quite there yet. A jewel, but not her brightest jewel. (JR)
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Insiders have long known that one of the treasures of the Leroy portfolio is the Savigny Les Beaune-Les Narbantons. Consistently the finest wine made in that appellation, it achieves grand cru quality because of its extraordinary richness and multidimensional character. The 1990 is awesome. The forceful bouquet, which is just beginning to form, soars from the glass, offering up aromas of minerals, toasty oak, and gobs of black fruit. In the mouth, there is magnificent richness, medium to full-body, and a layered, multi-dimensional, chewy texture that goes on and on. The moderate tannins are nearly obscured by the wine's sweet concentration of fruit. Anticipated maturity: 1996-2010+. I suppose there is a natural tendency to overlook Madame Leroy's wines from the Cote de Beaune. She, along with Faiveley and Jadot, makes one of the more flavorful generic red burgundies. Importer: Martine's Wines, San Rafael, CA.
About the producer
For many, Domaine Leroy represents the pinnacle of fine Burgundy. Owned and run by the legendary Lalou Bize-Leroy, the domaine in Vosne-Romanée is one strand of the Leroy empire, along with Maison Leroy and Domaine d’Auvenay.