Domaine Faiveley Tasting w/Faiveley Export Director Vincent Avenel

This was a good opportunity to learn about the changes at Domaine Faiveley since control of operations passed to the seventh generation of the family to run the Domaine--Erwan Faiveley--in 2004. Erwan hired as CEO Bernard Hervet, formerly of Bouchard, and together they have made a number of changes in vinification and barrel selection that appear to have resulted in wines that are more approachable in their youth, as well as new vineyard acquisitions. Faiveley owns a total of 296 acres, including 74 in the Cote de Nuits, 24 in the Cote de Beaune and 185 in the Cote Chalonnaise, which include eight grand crus and 16 premier crus. Eight of Faiveley's vineyards are monopoles, including the Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley Grand Cru and the Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands, both of which we sampled at this tasting. They also farm other vineyards as renters, and buy additional fruit as negociants, bottling the results under the name Joseph Faiveley. Eighty percent of the wines, however, come from fruit grown on the family's vineyards. Export Director Vincent Avenel, also formerly with Bouchard, is an articulate and passionate spokesperson for the domaine.

2006 was the first vintage for the new regime, so that was the focus of this tasting, but Vincent predicts that we won't fully see the results of some of the new techniques -- use of new truncated-cone-shape wood tanks (for less oxidation, greater pigeage); change to using barrels only from Taransaud and Francois Freres; use of a new vertical press; using gravity instead of pumping to introduce the grapes to vats -- until the 2007 vintage, of which we tasted one example. In 2008, vineyard holdings were further expanded with the acquisition of Domaine Monnot, including their Batard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet holdings. As the family's holdings are spread out throughout Burgundy, comprising 80 different appellations, wimenaking operations are based in two locations: a winery in Nuits St. George, and another in Mercurey, for the Cote Chalonnaise holdings.

• 2006 Faiveley Montagny Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet 87 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Montagny

  Very light yellow color; ripe lemon, floral and lime nose; lightly oily textured, light lemon, citrus palate; short-medium finish

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• 2006 Faiveley Chablis 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis

  Light yellow color; mineral, lime, grapefruit nose; tasty, tart lime, mineral chalk palate, a little steely; medium finish 88+ pts.

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• 2007 Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey 1er Cru

  Dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; ripe raspberry, cherry, vanilla and mineral nose with lift; silky, tart cherry palate with focus, good acidity; medium finish 90+ pts. (aged 10 mos.)

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• 2006 Faiveley Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey 1er Cru

  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; big baked cherry, cherry cola, vanilla nose; nice, ripe cherry, cherry pie, spice palate with depth and good acidity; medium finish (aged 13 mos.)

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• 2006 Faiveley Chambolle-Musigny 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny

  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; cinnamon, tart cherry, baked strawberry nose; subtle, soft, tart cherry, strawberry, mineral palate; medium finish 91+ pts. (no new oak, 60% 1 year old barrels)

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• 2006 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 90 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin

  Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; tight, focused, ripe cherry, spice nose; tasty, structured, tart cherry, rhubarb, mineral palate; medium finish 90+ pts. (blend of estate and non-estate fruit)

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• 2006 Faiveley Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru

  Dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; tight, oak, torrefaction, strawberry jam, toast nose; tight, tart strawberry, mineral, tart red fruit, oak palate; medium-plus finish

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• 2006 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Very dark cherry red color; lovely roses, tart cherry nose with depth; deep, tart cherry, roses, mineral palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish

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• 2006 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

  Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; big, intriguing, cherry, orange, spice, vanilla, sous bois nose; round, cherry, tart cherry, strawberry, mineral, tart strawberry palate with good acidity; medium-plus finish 92+ pts.

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• 2006 Faiveley Clos Vougeot 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru

  Medium dark cherry red color with pale meniscus; roses, vanilla, tart cherry, sandalwood nose; tight, pinched, tart red fruit, mineral palate with lime acidity and depth; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.

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Vincent Avenel on the right