Domaine Michel & Joanna Ecard Vieilles Vignes Savigny-les-Beaune Rouge 2013

What strikes you when you first experience Burgundy from Michel Ecard is the undeniable sensation that this is the sort of Burgundian Pinot Noir for which you’ve been searching all along. This grower’s wines are upfront and honest, captivating and convincing—truly how handmade, small-batch Burgundy should be.

There are few other Burgundy villages that consistently offer such quality-for-value as does Savigny-lès-Beaune, and few winemakers in this village that deliver such quality each and every vintage as does Michel Ecard. His low-sulfur, balanced wines are not only deliciously complex but also age beautifully, a rare trait for Burgundy so reasonably priced.

Michel Ecard learned the trade by working with his father, Maurice Ecard, a highly respected artisan in Savigny who has since retired. Michel founded his own domaine in 2005, and it is very much a micro-operation, with Michel in both the cellar and vineyards taking care of his grapes, from field to bottle.