2018 Domaine Pavelot Savigny-les-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode [D94][V92-94][BH91-94][JG91-93]

Producer: Domaine Pavelot 
Region: Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France 
Varietal: Pinot Noir 
Year: 2018  

Decanter, 94 Points 

"The richest and inkiest of Hugues Pavelot's highly impressive array of Savigny Premiers Crus in 2018, this is also the firmest and most backward, reflecting its north-easterly aspect. With 30% each of whole bunches and new wood, it's a layered, structured wine with assertive grip, dark berry fruit and the concentration to age further in bottle." 

Vinous, 92-94 Points 

"The 2018 Savigny-lès-Beaune La Dominode 1er Cru, picked on September 1 at 13.5% potential alcohol, is tightly coiled and more backward than the Aux Gravins, ergo I expect that this will require more bottle age. There are enticing blackberry and wild strawberry fruit aromas here, but they need time. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins and a superb line of acidity that imparts a sense of energy from the start to the saline finish, which is tangy and vivacious. This is everything you really need in a La Dominode." 

Burghound, 91-94 Points 

"A markedly spicy nose consists of dark currant, violet and earth nuances where a note of tea can be discerned. There is a lovely inner mouth perfume to the refined, velvety and caressing yet quite serious and tautly muscular flavors that also flash plenty of minerality on the powerful finish that exhibits excellent length. *Sweet Spot Outstanding*" 

John Gilman, 91-93 Points 

"Often, the Dominode chez Pavelot is my favorite premier cru in the cellar, but the 2018 was a bit grumpy at the time of my visit this year. The vineyard was picked on September 1st and comes in at 13.7 percent octane this year, offering up a ripe and sappy nose of black cherries, black raspberries, dark chocolate, woodsmoke, pigeon, dark soil tones and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, broad-shouldered and plenty sappy at the core, with ripe, buried tannins, good balance and a long, fairly powerful finish. It is not that this wine is disappointing in any respect, it was just not showing the same precision and purity at this point in its evolution as was the case with the last few of these Savigny premier crus in the cellar this year. I suspect that this is just the phase the wine was in at the time of my visit."  

Alcohol: 13.25% 

*Discounts do not apply to items like this one in the Fine & Rare category. Price and availability in store may vary.