The 2021 Red Burgundies have a reputation as inconsistent and tricky, but someone forgot to tell Gautier Desvignes. Burgundy’s leading wine critic William Kelley calls him “a leading light in the Côte Chalonnaise,” and he’s navigated an extremely difficult vintage with skill and precision. His lineup of 2021 Givrys is outstanding top to bottom – they’re not delicious “for the vintage,’ they’re objectively excellent on their own.
William Kelley credits the improvements in Gautier’s wines to the use of manure for fertilizer, a more careful oak regime, lighter filtration, and longer elevage. Wherever combination of variables is the one making the difference, the advances in quality are obvious. Gautier’s prices have yet to catch up, making his wines some of the best value red Burgundies we know.
The Desvignes 2021s arrived this week, and the village level Givry is open, supple, and simply lovely. Gautier dialed back the extraction for this cuvée, and it perfectly matches the intensity of the fruit. The nose is red fruited with cherries and raspberries alongside dried violets and spice; the mouth is delicate and silky with mid-to-low tannin and an easy finish.
Tasting at the domaine this spring, this cuvée is immediately called to our minds his terrific 2017 village-level Givry, a wine known to evaporate from the dinner table with shocking ease. This was the first bottle we opened after receiving a shipment this week, and one taste confirmed our initial enthusiasm – no patience required, just a few glasses and a few friends. If accessible red Burgundy is on your shopping list, grab this and cross it off.
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Desvignes Givry 2021
bottle price: $35
