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Domaine Simon BIZE

Domaine Simon Bize is one of the highly respected Burgundian addresses, a classic, or as the French are fond of saying, an ‘incontournable’ – ‘an absolute must’. The Domaine is situated in Savigny-les-Beaune, just across the road from the Château de Savigny, now an airplane and motorcycle museum. One of the previous owners of the Château once fought for mules to be used in Burgundian vineyards stating that horses were too heavy and would compact the soil unnecessarily. His idea was considered to be undignified. Savigny has always been home to interesting folks.

The Domaine has grown considerably since we first met the Bize family back in 1968. The list of appellations is long and contains not only a bouquet of Savignys but also a trio of Bourgogne Blancs, a splendid Aloxe Corton, and a few casks of Corton Charlemagne. The white Burgundies are now vinified not by Patrick, but by a young fellow who is as laconic as Patrick himself. Long answers are not part of this Domaine’s personality and one feels that all the energy goes into viticulture and vinification. There are twenty-two hectares to care for.

THE WHITES: We have been drinking the BOURGOGNE BLANC steadily and greedily. It is delicious, it is round, it is a wine with such a happy disposition that it can be served as an aperitif on its own, or throughout a meal. The BOURGOGNE BLANC LES PERRIERES is a serious wine. The word ‘Perrières’ has a lot to do with stones, possibly comes from the old word ‘perré’, a dry wall. Clive Coates in ‘Côte d’Or’ describes this wine as a ‘splendid generic white’. The SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE BLANC 1ER CRU AUX VERGELESSES is refined and intense, an appellation often found on the wine lists of two and three star restaurants. The Bize CORTON CHARLEMAGNE in a word is stellar.

THE REDS: SAVIGNY LES BEAUNE ROUGE LES BOURGEOTS is an appellation that lies on the Pernand-Aloxe Corton side of the village. The wines are energetic and extremely tasty, a fine introduction to Burgundian pinot noir. The well-known 1er Cru AUX VERGELESSES is perhaps the Domaine’s best loved wine for it has many of the attributes of a grand cru: finesse, complexity, and balance. The ALOXE CORTON LE SUCHOT should remind us not to neglect this once fashionable appellation, as it is ready for a revival.


An anecdote: Many years ago, I was dining at the Vieux Moulin (Bouilland) with a customer who kindly ordered up a bottle of a Côte de Nuits wine from a famed grower. Expensive bottle, lovely wine until Patrick Bize, seated at another table with his father and some customers, came to our table with a dusty magnum, and poured us each a glass of something that finished with a nine. We too were drinking a nine, a 1979, and I thought how kind to have a comparison.
The Bize nine was very somber in colour and it brooded in the glass until it began to open and give forth one of those wonderful, indescribable Burgundian bouquets. A beautiful, beautiful wine. No need to talk, and a sense of peacefulness. We finally thanked Patrick and asked for more information. It was a 1929, a modest Savigny.

Historical note: The first Bizes to arrive in Burgundy came from the Savoie in the early eighteen hundreds, and purchased their first vines including Les Perrières in 1868.

Current note: French chefs are known to hang out in the cellars of Bize. Patrick the thinnest man in the Côte de Beaune, frequents Michelin-starred restaurants and is a reliable source of recommendations for fine dining. Becky Wasserman

Region:

Côte de Beaune

Winery Location:

Savigny Les Beaune

Domaine (avg.):

7000 cases

Winemaker:

Patrick BIZE

Vineyard Area:

54.34 acres (22 ha)

Varietals:

Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

 

VITICULTURAL METHOD:whole grapes for old vines, 100% destemed for youngest

TRIAGE:Sorting Table

FERMENTATION:15 to 18 days

AGING:12 months for whites, 12 to 14 months for reds

NEW OAK:20% to 40%