Savigny les Beaune

The "lès" in Savigny-lès-Beaune translates as "near" and so it should be easy to remember that the town of Savigny is literally near the town of Beaune — just north of it. And while the region isn't exactly the talk of the town, very good wines are up for grabs here, especially if you find one from one of the 22 Premier Cru vineyards.

The village is divided by the River Rhoin, which is about the size of a good fishing stream, and interestingly, the bottom differs greatly on both sides. South of the Rhoin there are several Premier Cru sites planted on sandy soils, leading to lighter wines, while north of the river the soil is stony and the resulting wines have a bit more body and texture.

Stylistically, you can expect the best Pinot Noir wines to offer flavors of cherry pie and jam with hints of raspberries and violets. These wines have a high acidity and can be kept in the cellar for up to 15 years. Notable Cru sites as featured in The Oxford Companion to Wine (4th Edition) include: Les Peuillets, Les Narbantons, Les Marconnets, Les Lavières, and Les Vergelesses