December 14, 2023 - Ludwig`s 55th (Le Ptit Garde-Manger, Thoiry, France): Bad vintage. Tired. Close to death. The nose is all sous-bois and herbs. Palate is flat. Pass.
December 9, 2017 - Wow. What a beautiful wine. Makes you want to roll over and have a cigarette. Opened it in advance but recorded immediately once I tasted it Opened when ready to pour and drank beautifully.
April 16, 2017 - The wine is still in very good shape and pleasant to drink, but disappointed relative to expectations. It was ruby red with a restrained nose -- a whiff of tomato and occasionally some spirit. The body was medium-full with predominant cherry fruit -- while in balance, the palate was rather monolithic. The wine had good acid, but was nevertheless somewhat touchy with food. Certainly enjoyable, but I was hoping for more from a mature GC Burgundy.
November 21, 2015 - Deep and clear crimson in the glass. Pretty nose of leathery red and black cherry with some damp underbrush. Fully mature on the palate with drying berries yielding to more developed earth-backed tones, but with a pleasant dose of fruit still hanging around. Quite full and rich. Didn't take proper notes but all at dinner agreed it was a terrific wine in a great spot for drinking now.
October 20, 2012 - Brick red. Still has some fresh berry fruit but showing its age. Fairly powerful and well balanced. Stoney on palate. Long finish. No hurry for last bottle. 4/5 (90-92)
November 10, 2011 - Faiveley Dinner at Marea 11/10/2011 (Marea): Deep ruby. Lots of interest on the nose: soap, leather, minerals, a touch of caramel. Palate round and a bit sweetly cheerful, tea, rose, a little lychee. Excellent balance, great fruit, and good length. A spectacular, first-rate vin de garde. Later: simply a spectacular wine. Glorious. Still very tannic, even brutally so, but they are very, very fine grained and there is more than enough fruit to last. Wow! Along with the '71 Mazis, WOTN. A/A+
December 29, 2009 - Served alongside the 90 at Ledbury dinner. Still very dark colour to the rim. Nose starting to open up but palate still very young/focused. Lovely balance, lots of dark berry fruits and iron/minerals. Great wine.
October 28, 2009 - Opened and slow oxygenated for 12 hours before serving. Surprise, surprise, still so young! At first, deep, black fruit for a second and then tannins give you a damn good slap around the chops for the temerity of a moment's pleasure from an 18 year old Faiveley GC. By the end of the evening the tannins had softened a bit and the purity of the wine was really coming to the fore although still with lots of structure. As ever with Faiveley, needs another 10 years.
June 18, 2009 - Domaine Faiveley Dinner (The Square, London): TasteVinage bottle- dark fruits with some herbiness on the nose, tight dark fruits in the mouth, high acid, good balance, long finish, big big mouth. this wine will continue to improve for years. co-WOTN
June 18, 2009 - Wine-Pages Faiveley Offline (The Square, London): More mellow, meaty, quite deep nose. Smooth, plush, velvety, certainly one of the most attractive from the off. This is very decent indeed. ****1/2