Simon Bize "Savigny Les Beaune Les Talmettes" 1er Cru

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Region: Burgundy, France

Vintage: 2022

Viticulture: Organic

Soils: Clay + Limestone

Vinification:  100% whole cluster. 4-5 day cool maceration at 15°C. Ambient yeast fermentation with pump-overs and foot punch-downs. Aged for 18 months in barrels (0-20% new). Racked once.

Aging: 18 months

Fining or Filtering: None

Sulfur: 

Notes from the Importer: Les Talmettes is contiguous to Aux Vergelesses to the west, so it is south-facing. There are very few producers of Talmettes and was not produced as a single vineyard until 2007. Previously the wine was blended with Vergelesses but their was a new appellation rule that required it to bottle it as its own cru. The Bize parcel of Talmettes is 0.80 hectare and planted in 1968 and 1978. The parcel is steep at the top, with a little sand mixed into a clay-limestone based soil. The parcel is protected from the northwind, allowing for a more generous wine than is possible from Aux Vergelesses. 

The domaine was founded in 1890 by Simon Bize who embarked on viticulture with a few hectares of vines in the middle of the phylloxera crisis. The estate was then passed to his son in 1918 (another Simon) who increased their holdings and then to his son (also, Simon) in 1950, who built up a portfolio of customers. But it was his son, Patrick Bize, who from 1972 took the quality of the wines to the top.

Patrick passionately defended a more classic vision of Burgundy far from what was fashionable at the time. It was this energy and fervor that attracted Becky Wasserman to his work from early in her career. After his sudden death in 2013, his wife, Chisa Bize and his sister, Marielle Grivot-Bize. His son Hugo has also recently joined the domaine.