1990 Domaine Hubert Chenu & Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Guettes
Although a new name on the label, these are the same wines we all have come to love from Chenu-Lefebvre. We have an excellent example of Aux Guettes from the great 1990 vintage today, and it is the first time we have offered this vintage. Chenu is a historic Savigny label, and we have received excellent feedback from many clients, for good reason, as the wines here offer a fantastic sense of place and quality for the price. This 1990 Aux Guettes from the southeast-facing mid-slope on limestone/clay, which naturally yields structured, mineral-driven reds that need some time in the cellar, was made with fully destemmed Pinot, traditional vat fermentations, and élevage in older barrels, and then impeccably cellared for decades until its release just now. Under the current stewardship of Clément and Christophe Chenu (pictured above), every bottle of the old stock has been individually tasted, with only the best retained and recorked, with a significant portion discarded—hence these bottles are fresher for their age and offer a bit more reassurance. The duo goes through each bottle at the time of sale, so, in essence, every wine will have been checked prior to shipment by the winemakers. The 1990 vintage was outstanding, and a warmer year with well-timed rains helped make one of the best vintages of the 90s with excellent concentration, depth, balance, and structure. We tasted this from the Chenu cellar while in France a few years back, and it was an excellent mature Burgundy with dried red cherry, redcurrant, rose petal, and orange peel layered with sous-bois, tea, and a touch of cedar over Savigny's iron-tinged minerality. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, and silky, with resolved tannins and a nice core of fruit, finishing long and savory. It's an unbeatable buy for ex-domaine, premier cru red burgundy from one of the great vintages. You can't go wrong here, and this gets our highest recommendation!
Description
Although a new name on the label, these are the same wines we all have come to love from Chenu-Lefebvre. We have an excellent example of Aux Guettes from the great 1990 vintage today, and it is the first time we have offered this vintage. Chenu is a historic Savigny label, and we have received excellent feedback from many clients, for good reason, as the wines here offer a fantastic sense of place and quality for the price. This 1990 Aux Guettes from the southeast-facing mid-slope on limestone/clay, which naturally yields structured, mineral-driven reds that need some time in the cellar, was made with fully destemmed Pinot, traditional vat fermentations, and élevage in older barrels, and then impeccably cellared for decades until its release just now. Under the current stewardship of Clément and Christophe Chenu (pictured above), every bottle of the old stock has been individually tasted, with only the best retained and recorked, with a significant portion discarded—hence these bottles are fresher for their age and offer a bit more reassurance. The duo goes through each bottle at the time of sale, so, in essence, every wine will have been checked prior to shipment by the winemakers. The 1990 vintage was outstanding, and a warmer year with well-timed rains helped make one of the best vintages of the 90s with excellent concentration, depth, balance, and structure. We tasted this from the Chenu cellar while in France a few years back, and it was an excellent mature Burgundy with dried red cherry, redcurrant, rose petal, and orange peel layered with sous-bois, tea, and a touch of cedar over Savigny's iron-tinged minerality. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, and silky, with resolved tannins and a nice core of fruit, finishing long and savory. It's an unbeatable buy for ex-domaine, premier cru red burgundy from one of the great vintages. You can't go wrong here, and this gets our highest recommendation!
