2021 Domaine Serrigny 'Bas des Duresses' Auxey-Duresses 1er Cru

Domaine Serrigny is a family operation deep in the hollow of Savigny-les-Beaune. The household is on the hill behind the local château, and when you pull out of their road you can look down and see the seigneur’s crazy collection of mothballed fighter jets. He’s got them lined up on the chateau’s lawn, an eclectic display of man’s bird of prey.

Domaine Serrigny dates from the late 19th century. It’s made up of 7 hectares of vines (17 acres) and is run today by Marie Laure Serrigny. She’s the fourth generation, and she took over the estate in 1995 with her younger sister Francine. They tended the vines, made the wine, and together did all the myriad of things involved in running a domaine until late in 2016 when Francine succumbed to a long battle with cancer.

Gilles Mathieu, a former member of Jean-Pierre’s team over at Domaine Joseph Voillot, grew up in Savigny and had known the Serrignys all his life. He pretty much insisted that I visit, which I did early in February of 2016 without high expectations. The appellation is dominated by a handful of players and there was no press to speak of on the Serrigny wines.

Serrigny's parcel amounts to two-thirds of an acre facing northwest, and it was planted in the 1960s. The domaine first made wine from these vines in 2016, when it bought the parcel from Domaine Moulin Landin. Alcoholic fermentation was done entirely without stems both in 2016 and 2017. Savigny's terroir favors a profile of black fruit; Auxey gives red fruit. Normal production is 150 cases.

its bright ruby color is neither too light nor too dark. The bouquet, too, is well-balanced between rich aromas of small black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry, …) and flower scents (peony). In the mouth, the attack is refined and supple, measured, meaty and pleasing. When young, there may be a touch of astringency but its tannins soon soften and its texture becomes velvety and it develops musky notes, as well as those of leather and spices.

VINEYARD

Site: The premier cru vineyard of Bas des Duresses in the commune of Auxey-Duresses, over the hill from Monthélie.

Soil: Clay-limestone.

Vines: Serrigny’s parcel is two-thirds of an acre. The vines were planted in the 1960s and face northwest. Farming culture is lutte raisonnée, i.e., sustainable.

Varieties: Pinot Noir.

CELLAR

Vinification: The fruit is destemmed and all ferments are indigenous in upright wooden vats with gentle piegeage by foot.

Aging: Aged 14 months in older wood followed by 2 months in steel. No fining and only a light filtration at bottling.

Production: 150six-packs.

Profile: In clear contrast to the domaine’s Pinots from Savigny, this is a wine of red fruit–toothsome and richly elegant red fruit.