Weekend Vinopolpick- October 12

October 12, 2013

In 1825, Pierre Faiveley founded what is now Domaine Faiveley as a negociant firm based in Nuits St. Georges.  Domaine Faiveley has since purchased 300 acres of vineyards throughout the Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune and Cotes Chalonnaise.  It is now the largest owner of classified vineyards in these regions, and includes several prized monopoles in these holdings.

Since 2005, Erwan Faiveley has headed the company; and the changes have been dramatic.  He has shifted the style of wine away from heavily extracted wines with fierce tannins to a smoother, more fruit-dominate style.  His goal is to convert Faiveley exclusively to domain wines, growing all of their own grapes.  The negociant wines now make up only approximately 20% of the vineyards from which the grapes are sourced, and are only sold only under the differentiated Joseph Faiveley label.

Domaine Faiveley treats all of its wines with care and seriousness under

the direction of a single vineyard and cellar director, a rarity for large domains.  Their grapes are grown almost completely organically, but it is unlikely the Domaine will pursue certification.  Pruning, de-budding and green-harvesting are techniques used throughout its vineyards to ensure high concentration of flavors.  Upon arriving to the winery, all grapes are de-stemmed completely and sorted for quality.  Fermentation is long and slow in cool temperatures.  The premier and grand crus wines are fermented in wood vats and are aged after fermentation in 2/3s new oak, while the lesser cuvees are fermented in stainless steel and aged in barrels.  The Domaine uses wood barrels that are dried by aging for three years instead of being quickly kiln-fired.  This gentler drying process leeches the harsher tannins from the wood, leaving only the softer, more refined tannins.  The wines are hand-bottled unfiltered.

Below, we have organized a list of our domain-only wines from Domaine Faiveley for you. There are two sections of three groupings, the first are wines available now and the second are wines on pre-arrival, organized into 2011s and cellar-selections.  The three groupings are by region and color: red Cote de Nuits (Northern Cote d’Or in Northern Burgundy), red Cote de Beaune (Southern Cote d’Or), and white wines from the Cote de Beaune and Cotes Chalonnaise (Southern Burgundy).

We offer an extensive selection of both domain and negociant wines from Domaine Faiveley. Feel free to come browse our selections, whether online or in our store.  Although we only have the domain wines listed below, you can easily tell the two apart by looking at the label.  Domain-only wines are labeled “Domaine Faiveley,” whereas the negociant wines are labeled “Joseph Faiveley.”

Wine Spectator & Wine Enthusiast – Cellar Selection 91 points “The toast character lends a firm structure to this solid, rich wine. A spice note pairs well with the white plum and apricot fruit, and there is a sense that this needs to age for several years in order to bring out its richness and full potential.”

Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Pale yellow. Less expressive on the nose than the Bienvenue, hinting at clove, nuts and iodine. Then rich but dry in the mouth, and much less showy than the Bienvenue, conveying a clenched, solid, almost salty impression. Very tactile, palate-staining wine with finishing flavors of crushed rock and iodine. These vines are located just under the Montrachet of Marquis de Laguiche, notes Hervet. A bruiser. Hervet notes that the Bienvenue parcel is actually lower on the slope than the Batard but that the wine is higher-pitched and finer, with less volume. Or, as he put it, “in Burgundy, the rule is that there is no rule.”

Stephen Tanzer 92 points “Palish green-yellow. Crushed stone, lemon-lime, hazelnut and a whiff of leesy complexity on the explosive nose. Boasts terrific density and sucrosite but with excellent acid backbone and firm minerality providing lift and shape. Best today on the long finish, which features palate-staining red grapefruit and crushed stone flavors. These 50-year-old vines are planted in deep soil, but there’s a lot of minerality in the subsoil, notes Hervet. Offers superb potential, but the 2008 may be even better.”

Stephen Tanzer 94-97 points “Pale yellow. Knockout high-pitched nose combines crushed stone, lemon-lime, vanilla cream, quinine and botanical herbs. Tactile, penetrating and utterly palate-staining, with an exhilarating sugar/acid balance and outstanding cut and precision. Finishes quite austere, saturating the palate with citrus peel and dusty stone. Combines outstanding density of texture with great fine-grained finesse.”

Dom. Faiveley Corton Grand Cru Clos De Corton Faiveley 2006 ($179.95) $119 special 4 available
Stephen Tanzer 93-96 points “Good deep red-ruby. Explosive, exotic nose offers red cherry, red licorice and mint. Huge and sweet, but with outstanding verve and lift for a wine of this dimension. Powerful red fruit flavors are punched up by pungent iodiney minerality, giving this wine outstanding energy. A great sappy essence of pinot noir in the making, and very long on the aftertaste, with tannins that are amazingly suave for Corton.”

Stephen Tanzer 94-97 points “Deep red with ruby tones. Sappy, perfumed nose offers cherry, white pepper, crushed stone, mint and menthol. Wonderfully velvety in the mouth, but with superb energy and definition to the pungent mineral and fresh raspberry flavors. Boasts a three-dimensional texture and great sweetness. Peppery acidity and uncanny soil complexity stain the palate on the finish, which features outstanding finesse of tannins. A worthy successor to the great 2009.”

Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “Bright red-ruby. Highly perfumed aromas of black raspberry, mocha and coffee. Very ripe on the palate but juicy, tight and gripping, with superb energy to its dark berry, floral and mineral flavors. Finishes with some superripe notes and firm tannic spine. Really refreshes the palate on the very long finish. This really grew on me”

Stephen Tanzer 90-92 points “Good full, deep red. Smoky red fruits complicated by stony minerality. Deep, suave and fine-grained, conveying an impression of gentle extraction. Not a large-scaled or powerfully structured wine but as deep as the Combe aux Moines. This silky, dry wine finishes long and subtle, with notes of smoke and minerals. As promising a vintage of this cuvee as I can recall tasting. The premier cru Clos des Issarts is located barely yards from Ruchottes-Chambertin.”

Fine Wine Review 91-94 points “The Gevrey-Clos des Issarts is now certified as biodynamic. The wine is tightly-wound, nervy, and mineral with red fruits in a light, airy body. The vineyard is adjacent to the Clos des Ruchottes of Rousseau, and the resemblance is obvious”

Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Good bright, full red. Knockout perfume of raspberry and rose petal offers an element of lift that I associate more with Clos Saint-Jacques. Then sappy and vibrant in the mouth, with outstanding purity and salty intensity to the flavors of red fruits and blood orange. Utterly fine-grained premier cru with perfectly harmonious acidity. The very long, rising finish features terrific floral, mineral lift. A great Cazetiers in the making.”

Stephen Tanzer 96 points “Bright, deep red.  Pungent, vibrant nose combines dark raspberry, smoked meat, sandalwood, musky herbs, minerals and lower-pitched earth tones.  Dense, sappy and expansive, boasting outstanding lift and energy to its sharply delineated flavors of dark cherry, berry skin, flowers and white pepper.  There’s no easy sweetness to this great Clos de Beze, which finishes with noble tannins and compelling subtle persistence.”

Stephen Tanzer 91(+) points “Medium bright red. Complex nose offers bitter cherry, redcurrant, licorice, spices, clove and flowers. Sweet but tight and serious, with lovely floral lift to its flavors of red fruits, spices and incense. As vibrant as this is, it’s still a baby and hiding more than it’s showing today. Finishes with substantial building, dusty tannins and excellent length.”

Stephen Tanzer 92-95 points “Good full red.  Pungent aromas of raspberry, crushed stone and white pepper.  Enters with intense raspberry and spices, then turns firm and floral in the middle, showing superb energy and sappiness to the primary red fruit and mineral flavors.  With its saline impression of extract and strong tannic spine, this should evolve in bottle for couple of decades.”

Stephen Tanzer 93-95 points “Good bright dark red.  Wonderful mineral tang lifts the complex aromas of raspberry, cherry, pomegranate, coffee, pepper and spices.  Fat, sweet and deep, with the piquant minerality and a peppery element giving lift and energy to the middle palate.  Notes of candied strawberry and raspberry are complicated by saline soil tones.  Powerfully structured wine with long, bright finishing flavors that saturate the sides of the mouth.”

Stephen Tanzer 94 points “Good deep red. Ineffably complex aromas of wild red fruits, menthol, white pepper, minerals and powdered stone. A wine of great nobility, a bit imploded on entry, then wonderfully complex and aromatic in the middle, with terrific sappiness and energy to the lightly saline flavors of red fruits, spices, licorice and crushed stone. The rising, endless finish titillates the taste buds. This makes the Latricieres seem dry in comparison.”

Wine Spectator 94 points “The cherry, raspberry, earth, spice, and mineral flavors are offset by the smoky oak and solid tannins in this well-defined red. Vibrant and long, offering oak spice and mineral on the finish. This should develop beautifully. Best from 2016 – 2035.”

Stephen Tanzer 93-96 points “Good deep red. A bit darker on the nose than the grand crus from Gevrey-Chambertin, offering explosive aromas of crushed raspberry, black cherry, exotic spices and a touch of smoke. Compellingly rich and seamless in the mouth, with terrific sappy verve to the urgent flavors of red berries, minerals and game. The very long, slowly rising finish boasts outstanding energy and thrust and saturates the mouth with sweet perfume.”

Stephen Tanzer 91-94 points “(25% vendange entier; the lieu-dit is Petit Musigny):  Medium red.  Raspberry, pungent smoky minerality and truffley underbrush on the perfumed nose.  Juicy, tactile and saline, with musky red raspberry fruit complicated by crushed-stone minerality.  Mounts impressively on the chewy aftertaste.”

Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “Precise aromas of raspberry and crushed rock.  Sweet, silky and deep, with crushed raspberry and mineral flavors complicated by smoke and game nuances.  Boasts superb thickness and palate presence without any heaviness.  Finishes with lovely lift and a whiplash of red fruits, smoke and minerals.  Faiveley is no longer farming these vines organically, and adviser Bernard Hervet notes that this wine now shows less reduction and early grapefruit character.”

Stephen Tanzer 89-92 points “Bright medium red.  Lively aromas of redcurrant, red cherry and pepper, plus a whiff of game.  Shows strong graphite and pepper notes in the mouth, but the wine’s fruit is currently suppressed by sulfur.  Finishes saline, dense and chewy, with more obvious tannins than the Chambolle cuvees.  This needs the sweetening influence of a racking.” ST

Stephen Tanzer 91-93 points “(25% vendange entier; from vines in excess of 50 years of age, according to Bernard Hervet):  Good deep red.  Sexy aromas of black raspberry and dried rose complicated by game and leather nuances.  Complex, concentrated and quite dry, with tangy raspberry fruit complemented by saline and smoky notes.  Tasty, firmly made wine, finishing with very good length and subtle tannins that coat the front teeth.”

Stephen Tanzer 91-94 points “(50% new oak; no whole clusters):  Good bright, deep red.  Soil-driven aromas and flavors of red berries, caraway seed, mocha, chocolate and spices, lifted by a floral topnote.  Tactile and intense, with strong saline minerality contributing to the impression of energy and precision.  Finishes with suave, fine-grained tannins and excellent lift.”

Stephen Tanzer 90-92 points “Good full medium red.  Strawberry, minerals and gunflint on the nose.  Extremely suave for the vintage, and fuller than usual for this cuvee, offering sweet but crunchy flavors of cranberry and riper red berries.  Hints of pepper and herbs throughout contribute to the impression of intensity.  Finishes with a serious tannic spine and palate-saturating persistence.  At once solid and classy.”

Stephen Tanzer 89-91 points “Bright medium red.  Pungent flinty minerality and smoke on the nose.  Very sweet, lightly saline redcurrant and raspberry flavors show modest complexity and definition.  Finishes with slightly tough tannins and a touch of dryness.  Needs following.  This vineyard is part of Faiveley’s large contract to purchase all of Domaine Zibetti’s fruit:  2011 was the first vintage.”

Stephen Tanzer 89-92 points “(this and the following wines were still in barrel in November; this vineyard was picked first in 2011, along with the Beaune Clos de L’Ecu):  Bright red.  Pungent red fruits and orange peel on the lively nose.  Reticent and rather tight in the mouth, but with a suave grain and lovely lift to the red fruit flavors.  Quite closed in the early going.”

Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Good bright, full red.  Knockout perfume of raspberry and rose petal offers an element of lift that I associate more with Clos Saint-Jacques.  Then sappy and vibrant in the mouth, with outstanding purity and salty intensity to the flavors of red fruits and blood orange.  Utterly fine-grained premier cru with perfectly harmonious acidity.  The very long, rising finish features terrific floral, mineral lift.  A great Cazetiers in the making.”

Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Bright, deep red. Lovely high-pitched perfume of cranberry, raspberry, rose peal and crushed stone, accented by a pungent whiff of blood orange. Silky, sweet and seamless, conveying an impression of density without any weight. Broad, savory and dry on the back half, finishing with wonderfully suave tannins and outstanding building length. Superb.”

Stephen Tanzer 93-95 points “Good deep red.  Deeply pitched, slightly reduced nose dominated by smoky minerality, musky soil tones, game bird, gunflint and dried rose.  Thick, sweet and very intense, offering terrific smoky, soil-driven complexity but not yet displaying its underlying fruit.  Finishes with big, fine-grained tannins and excellent length.  Doesn’t yet show the sheer eclat of the Mazis, but this may be going through an awkward stage.”

Stephen Tanzer 90-93 points “Good bright, deep red.  Cherry, rose petal, mocha and game on the nose, plus a hint of metallic minerality.  Dense, sappy and youthfully tight; less expansive today than the Echezeaux and more peppery too.  Has a serious spine for aging but seems a tad dry in the early going.”

Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Good bright, medium red.  Red cherry, redcurrant, smoke and white pepper on the nose, complemented by mellow oak tones.  Rich, dense and silky, with a dominant flavor of sweet raspberry.  Really opens out on the back half, then grips the palate on the very long finish, which features a note of bitter orange zest.  This wine began with the lowest potential alcohol of all of Faiveley’s grand cru holdings in 2011 (it was 11.8%, chaptalized to 12.6%), and will rely as much on its acidity as on its tannins for aging.”

Stephen Tanzer 92-94 points “Good full medium red.  High-pitched aromas of raspberry, crushed stone, white pepper, blood orange and flowers.  Tight today and folded in on itself, with some excess CO2 currently suppressing the mid-palate fruit.  Fairly tough tannins cut off the wine’s finishing flavors, but the intensity and precision of this grand cru suggest that it will reward seven or eight years of cellaring.”

Stephen Tanzer 93-96 points “Bright, deep red.  Very deep aromas and flavors of raspberry, redcurrant, smoke and crushed rock.  At once penetrating and utterly fine-grained; explosive sappy perfume fills the mouth without leaving any impression of weight.  Pinot just doesn’t pull off this trick anywhere but in Burgundy’s top sites.  Finishes with noble tannins and outstanding palate-staining length.”

Wine Spectator 93 points, Stephen Tanzer 89-92 points “Good bright red.  Reticent aromas of dark cherry and crushed stone show a building spice character with air; less exuberant than the Champs Fulliot.  Lovely definition and lift to the youthfully closed flavors of pomegranate, cherry and orange zest.  Finishes firmly tannic and closed, but with excellent energy and subtle lingering perfume.  These south-facing vines were picked at the beginning of the harvest.”

Wine Enthusiast 90 points “This is certainly structured, with firm and chunky tannins dominating the the ripe fruit. Acidity cuts through the palate, lending a lively, juicy sensation. As the wine ages over the next four years, it will develop richness to go with its structure.”

Stephen Tanzer 88-90 points “Deep red. Fresh aromas of cassis, minerals and leather. Dense, chewy and rather powerful, with bright, distinctly cool flavors but plenty of fat. Rather suave wine, finishing with ripe tannins and a sneaky persistence.”