1993 Savigny Les Beaune Les Jarrons

There are two cuvees of 1993 Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Jarrons, one for the general public, and one barrel (25 cases) bottled without filtration for the North Berkeley Wine Co. Both wines are good, with admirable quantities of cherry fruit, spice, medium body, attractive sweetness, good structure, and light tannin. The Unfiltered Cuvee is spicier, deeper, and longer, with more new oak in evidence. Both wines are approachable now, but they will keep for 8-10 years. Ecard successfully tamed the ferocious tannin of the 1993 vintage. His 1993s support the general notion that 1993 is a consistently brilliant year for red Burgundy. All of his wines are classic Pinot Noirs - pure, fragrant, expansive, and well-balanced, rather than excessively tannic, hollow, acidic, or charmless. These are all classy Pinot Noirs. It is a shame there are not more red burgundies like Ecard's premiers crus from Savigny-Les-Beaune. His wines go from strength to strength, offering vivid, ripe, elegant Pinot Noirs that are full of fruit, wonderfully pure, representative of their different terroirs, and are sold at modest prices. Ecard's wines drink well young yet can age for 10-12 years. This is an estate to seek out for modestly priced Pinot Noir that delivers the goods. Importers: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 848-8910 (only the unfiltered cuvees), Europvin USA, Watertown, MA; tel. (617) 924-7620, Kysele Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (703) 888-7931, and those importers representing the selections of the Paris-based, American Burgundy specialist, Peter Vezan (Paris fax # 011 33 1 42554293)