Domaine Jacob 2007 Tasting Notes

Savigny-lès-Beaune rouge 2005
Hautes Côtes de Beaune rouge 2005

The long, hot summer of 2005 was perfect for sunbathers and, for once, relished by Burgundy winemakers as it produced one of the most sensational vintages in recent years.  Untypical coolness at flowering time (early June) served to reduce the expected yield, but, in mid-June, summer arrived and the grapes thrived on the warm sunshine and infrequent rain showers that followed.  By harvest time the grapes were perfect.  The resulting wines have a fabulous harmony of fruit and acidity, which makes them ready for drinking now, but also gives a promise of pleasure for some years to come

Our Savigny-lès-Beaune, which was awarded a Seal of Approval at the International Wine Challenge last year, has a characteristic ‘strawberry, cherry, slightly earthy’ nose.  On the palate it is fresh and fruity, with just enough light tannins to tickle the taste buds and to promise further maturing in the bottle over the next 5–8 years.  There is a smoothness about our Savigny-lès-Beaune which makes it a terrific accompaniment for beef casserole, good old English steak and kidney pie or a Ploughman’s lunch with hard English cheeses.  We had some with stuffed roasted red peppers and adored the fruity-juicy blend.

As its name suggests, the grapes for our Hautes Côtes de Beaune are grown on higher slopes than the Savigny.  Also, the terrain is more level and less exposed to the withering summer sun.  As a result the wine is slightly more acidic than the gentler Savigny and it will continue to age in the bottle longer.  If you are impatient, don’t worry, the well-balanced blend of fruit ‘cherries and blackcurrants’, acidity and mild tannins gives this wine a slight ‘edge’, making it the perfect accompaniment to barbecued steak, grilled pork and almost anything with mushrooms.