Domaine Doudet, Savigny-lès-Beaune

 ?The domaine continues its recent progress: it is rediscovering the classic and welcome style of aromatic finesse and delicacy of texture ?The range of 1999s is the most refined ever produced, homogenous and faithful to the terroirs." (Bettane & Desseauve 2002)

Domaine Doudet and its negociant arm, Doudet-Naudin, have been producing fabulous Burgundy wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at their winery in the heart of the picturesque village of Savigny-lès-Beaune since 1849. It is the last remaining completely independent family-run Company in the Cote d?Or region, managed by Yves Doudet.

Many of the Doudet-Naudin vineyards are over 50 years old and the grapes are hand picked before a rigorous selection process. Yves Doudet strives to extract the typical character of each grape variety by keeping yields low and planting vines in the most suitable plots on the Beaune hillsides.

For 10 years, important investments have been carried out in the vineyards and crops are deliberately kept low in order to obtain optimal extraction of tannins, colour and fruit.  

No chemical treatments are practised in any of the vineyards. As with all Burgundian negoçiants they also purchase grapes from other appellations. Those grapes which are bought undergo rigourous quality-control measures. All the wines are bottled unfiltered; white wines are aged in French oak barrels for between 9 and 20 months whereas the red wines are aged in oak from 15 to 21 months.

New winemaker Alain Ambroise has lifted the quality of the wines here, particularly those from the northern parts of the Côtes de Beaune (Savigny, Pernand and Beaune itself) with all the village wines showing their terroirs well.   

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