Camus-Bruchon Savigny Lavières, 2006
I am getting spammed by Barker & Stonehouse, an upmarket furniture retailer in Yorkshire. I bought a couple of sofas from them in 2002 and since then they have kindly alerted me to their keen offers by SMS. It all started out quite benignly with an odd message to my phone every few months. Â Then I decided to unsubscribe as the text messages were simply not relevant to my current needs. But horror appeared in the form of a recent phone bill from O2.
I had tried a total of four times to unsubscribe and each time it had failed. Everyone makes mistakes. But they don’t usually charge for them.  33p is the cost of sending a text to Barker & Stonehouse to unsubscribe. That is a liberty beyond belief in the face of success. It is unbelievably, arse-bendingly, penny-pinchingly, temple-bulgingly farcical in the case of failure.  After four efforts (and £1.32) the spam continues.
At the other end of the Bathgate respect for organisations spectrum is The Wine Society. In piquant ascendancy right now, it reminds me of where Tesco was 4 or 5 years ago (for groceries, not wine). Great service, huge growth prospects, loyal customers, great products at reasonable prices.
This awesome Savigny-Laviéres from renowned Camus-Bruchon et Fils, was an en primeur purchase a few years ago that, after tax and delivery, netted out at about £16 per bottle. Madame Google is struggling to find current UK stockists, although US prices indicate you would probably have to pay £25 to grab a bottle these days.  Even at that lofty price it is well worth it.
The wine, like many fine Burgundies is tawny and thin to look at, but fruity and composty to taste, with the educated and structured acidity of a Jeremy Paxman interview. At 13 degrees ABV, this is a refined, delicate, Catherine Deneuve of a wine. If you know where to get more, please drop me a line.
If you share my distaste for spam and illegal marketing practices, feel free to join my Boycott Barker and Stonehouse group on Facebook. If you like the idea of decent wines at fair prices, join the Wine Society.
January 9th, 2012 at 3:11 pm
I had the Savigny-Gravains 06 from this producer over Xmas. One of the most joyous wines I had last year. Also bought en primeur from the Wine Society. (Almost) affordable red Burgundy, I hope to drink a lot more like in 2012.
September 9th, 2012 at 5:26 pm
C-B’s Savigny-les-Beaune Pimientiers 06, not 1er cru but apparently from very old vines, is on the Wine Soc’s current bin end list at £14.95. I’ve just ordered some to try it.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Well, you’ve left me no option to do the same. Compare notes later…
November 23rd, 2012 at 8:58 pm
Good burgundy is a great antidote to just about anything isn’t it? Just enjoying the 2005 Chorey-Les-Beaune, which is also lovely, brimming with ripe black cherry fruit, quite generous and rich for this level, but with lovely balancing acidity. About £13 from the aforementioned Wine Society, if memory serves correctly (which it may not be at this precise moment!)