2017 Domaine du Clos du Fief Xavier Besson 1er Cru Les Grands Pretans Givry Burgundy France

We did a double-take when we saw the price tag on the 2017 Les Grands Prétans from Domaine Besson in Givry: This isn’t the village-level bottling from a no-name winery, it’s the single-vineyard cuvée from a fourth-generation producer’s premier cru parcel. After tasting this graceful, polished red from the vintage Vinous is calling “a modern classic” our only response was: “How fast can you get this to the US?” 

Today, it’s finally (and exclusively) on Wine Access for under $40. Besson’s Les Grands Prétans perfectly exemplifies the best Givry—full of youthful energy and fresh red cherry, violets, licorice, and forest floor this red is beautifully balanced by super-fine tannins. Red Burgundies made with this degree of care and attention to detail are few and far between… especially at $39.

Tucked at the southern end of Burgundy, between the Côte de Beaune and the Mâconnais, Givry continues the same clay-limestone soils of the Côte d’Or and was once famous for producing King Henry IV’s favorite wines, and while Xavier Besson’s history isn’t quite that long, the family’s wines have been synonymous with top-quality for four generations. 

The family combines scrupulous sustainable farming, low yields, and light touch in the cellar (relying on just 20% new oak) to ensure that the purity, balance, and vitality of the mature vines rooted in this best plot of Givry express themselves fully in this crimson Pinot, sourced from their tiny Premier Crus Les Grands Prétans parcel. 

With vines that average 30 years-old, and the ideal southeastern exposure for the clay-limestone soils, it’s not a surprise that the Besson estate is a favorite for value-minded Pinot Noir enthusiasts. Givry wines, especially in a warm vintage like 2017, are broader, juicier, friendlier, and more approachable in their youth than their neighbors. Burgundy lovers should act fast—when quality, value, and scarcity come together like this, the bottles never last long!

Generally, 2017 was a very good year for Burgundy, eliciting a region-wide sigh of relief after two consecutive years of very small harvests in 2015 and 2016. Really, it was a very easy and even growing season, giving the rare combination of both quality and quantity. 

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 13.00%
• 30 mins
• Drink Up
• % Pinot Noir
• Serving temperature – 62°
• Cork