2021 Domaine Michel Ecard Savigny-Les-Beaune VV, Burgundy, France (750ml)   

_{A Red Cellar Trio Quarterly Wine Club Selection}
The first impression when tasting a Burgundy from Michel Ecard is this undeniable sensation that this is the sort of Burgundian Pinot Noir you’ve been searching all along. The wines are upfront and honest, captivating and convincing — truly how handmade, small-batch Burgundy should be.

There are few other Burgundy villages that consistently offer such quality-for-value like Savigny-lès-Beaune, and few winemakers in this village that deliver such quality every vintage like Michel Ecard. His well-balanced wines are not only deliciously complex but also age beautifully, a rare trait for Burgundy so reasonably priced.
 
Michel Ecard learned the trade by working with his father, Maurice Ecard, a highly respected artisan in Savigny who has since retired. Michel founded his own domaine in 2005. This was very much a micro-operation with Michel in the cellar and fields, and his wife, Joanna, handling everything else.  They farm these vineyards with sustainable practices (”lutte raisonnée”) and avoid the use of pesticides or herbicides.

This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from four different vineyards in Savigny that were planted in the early 1960’s. The grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed and fermented on indigenous yeasts in a temperature-controlled stainless steel tank. They were pressed in an upright, hand-cranked press and then aged in older French oak barrels. The finished wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

This wine has a bright ruby hue, juicy aromas of red fruit and dried herbs. The palate is dazzling and tart, showing multiple layers of red fruits, cherry and a whisper of garrigue. This labor of love is light, lively, and charming, exquisitely balanced with powdery tannins and mouth-watering acidity.