Simon Bize

History

Domaine Simon Bize has been rooted in Savigny-lès-Beaune for several generations. The domaine takes its name from Simon Bize, whose family built up holdings across the appellation over much of the twentieth century. For many years the domaine was guided by Patrick Bize, who became one of the more respected voices in the Côte de Beaune before his death in 2013. His passing marked a significant transition, with his wife Chisa Bize (née Ohnuma, originally from Japan) taking responsibility for the estate. She had worked alongside Patrick for years and continued the domaine's direction without disruption. The estate remains family-owned and operated, and its wines are regarded as among the more consistent references for what Savigny-lès-Beaune can achieve at both village and premier cru level.

Vineyards

Savigny-lès-Beaune sits in a side valley running west from the main Côte, with vineyards on two facing slopes. The domaine holds parcels on both sides: the north-facing slope toward Pernand-Vergelesses, where Les Vergelesses sits on limestone-heavy soils and produces some of the more structured wines of the appellation, and the south-facing slope closer to Beaune. Les Grands Liards is a village-level lieu-dit; Les Talmettes and Les Maconnets are premiers crus with somewhat different exposures and soil profiles. The domaine also holds a parcel in Latricières-Chambertin, one of Gevrey-Chambertin's grands crus, situated on the lower portion of the climat adjacent to Chambertin. Unusually for a domaine based in Savigny, this holding gives the estate a foothold in the Côte de Nuits at the highest classification level. A small amount of white wine is produced from Les Vergelesses, suggesting Chardonnay plantings in a climat that is predominantly red. Specific farming certifications are not widely documented, but the domaine has generally been associated with careful, low-intervention viticulture.

Winemaking

The cellar approach at Bize has historically favored relatively whole-cluster fermentation for the reds, with aging in oak barrels using a proportion of new wood that increases with the hierarchy of the wine. Village wines see modest oak influence; premiers crus and the Latricières spend longer in barrel with a higher share of new wood, though the domaine has not been associated with heavily oaked or extracted styles. The wines tend toward finesse rather than weight, which suits the character of Savigny-lès-Beaune. The Latricières-Chambertin is the prestige bottling and the wine that attracts the most outside attention, given the rarity of Savigny-based producers holding grand cru land in Gevrey. Filtration and fining practices are not extensively documented in public sources.