Description
Domaine Lucien Jacob, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru “Les Peuillets”
If everyone could taste today’s sensational Premier Cru from Domaine Lucien Jacob, the prattle about Burgundy (1) losing its sense of value and (2) Premier/Grand Crus only being accessible to the elite would cease to exist. In a glorious bumper-crop vintage like 2018, Lucien Jacob’s 1er Cru “Les Peuillets” has become one of the most rewarding wine experiences out there for those who desire stylish, drink-whenever Pinot Noirs.
So, next time you’re fancying a premium Burgundy experience, open today’s plush and explosively perfumed “Les Peuillets” and try not to become overwhelmed by how much sublime pleasure and pedigree it delivers for $55. For me, there’s no mistaking Jacob’s rare statement piece for anything other than what it truly is: genuinely enjoyable, artisanal, cellar-worthy Premier Cru Burgundy that sharpens the oft-blurred line of value and authenticity. I’ve been draining vintage after vintage for many years now, and yet I still cannot get over the consistency and sheer price-to-quality of each. Don’t short yourself: There are only 50 cases for the entirety of America, and we own less than half of that!
NOTE: This special selection is only available as a pre-offer. We expect our parcel to arrive in late December.
In the first edition of “The Wines of Burgundy,” published in 1997, Clive Coates, MW wrote that Savigny-lès-Beaune is a “happy hunting ground for those seeking good, inexpensive Burgundy.” Of course, over the last 20+ years, dramatic increases in global demand, inflation, consolidation, and climate change have conspired to make “good, inexpensive Burgundy” largely a thing of the past. Fortunately, small family-owned properties like Domaine Lucien Jacob are still here to fight the good fight and Savigny-lès-Beaune remains a great destination for value in Burgundy. While high-ticket villages Pommard and Volnay sit immediately to the south and the majestic hill of Corton is just north, Savigny always seems to hide in plain sight with price tags staying well below those of its more prestigious neighbors here in the heart of the Côte de Beaune.
The story of Domaine Jacob begins in the early 1900s with the grandfather of current proprietor Jean-Michel Jacob. The Jacob family has resided in Burgundy for generations but their sterling reputation was originally built not on grapes and wine, but rather berries and liqueur. Jean-Michel’s grandfather saved his earnings from growing framboise (raspberries) and cassis (black currants) in the hills of the Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune and eventually selling their spirits to establishments in Lyon and Paris. In time, the family was able to purchase a few small vineyard parcels in nearby Savigny-lès-Beaune. By the 1950s, Jean-Michel’s father, Lucien, was expanding the family’s vineyard holdings and making wine a focus. Today, Jean-Michel continues the growth of the family’s acreage in Burgundy with recently purchased vineyards in Beaune, Pernand-Vergelesses, and Gevrey-Chambertin.
After almost a decade of experience with Domaine Jacob’s wines, I feel confident in my conviction that wines originating from the family’s “home” vineyards in Savigny-lès-Beaune (most notably, today’s Premier Cru “Les Peuillets”) are their most consistently delicious and cellar-worthy creations. Jacob’s ripe and prolific crop in 2018 was farmed sustainably and manually harvested at low Grand Cru-level yields. In the cellar, the grapes spontaneously fermented in concrete vessels before maturing for 15 months in mostly used Burgundy barrels. As always, it was bottled unfined.
For me, “Les Peuillets” displays old-school Burgundian pedigree with generously sleek ripeness—the latter of which is on full, center-stage display in this particular vintage. This is a perfect bottle for those who inhaled warm-vintage Burgundies (like 2015) and/or increasingly find themselves uncorking high-end Willamette Valley and Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs. Meaning, there are plenty of plush, juicy flavors in this wine but it never once loses its focused sense of mineral tension and freshness. Each sip provides seamless, unapologetically lush pleasure with notes of kirsch, black raspberry, ripe plum, and purple flowers alongside damp moss, sweet spice, and orange peel. At four years old, it has just entered its prime where it will stay for the next 3-5 years. Enjoy!
