2013 Domaine Bruno Clair, Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru, La Dominode

Good medium red. Raspberry and a touch of herbs on the slightly high-toned nose; distinctly redder than the Marsannays in 2013. Then darker in the mouth, with blackberry and licorice flavors complicated by a slight vegetal quality. Not bad but I wanted more verve. This lacks the thrust of Clair's best 2013s from the Côte de Nuits but comes across as richer than the 2014 version, which was more affected by hail.

The 2013 Savigny-les-Beaune La Dominode comes across as slightly vegetal, sauvage and a bit rough around the edges next to some of the other wines in this range. Three hailstorms proved to be too much for even Bruno Clair and Philippe Brun to overcome.

The 2013 Savigny les Beaune la Dominodes has a muted, tertiary nose that I feel was compromised by the hail. The palate is “spiky” on the entry with a prickle of acidity. It does not quite have the harmony of Bruno’s other 2013s, although there is still freshness and vitality here. It is just that the finish feels a little austere.