Followers of this Blog will know that your scribe really respects and admires everything from Domaine Faiveley! References to this esteemed house are abundant on this site with the last one for a Chambertin Clos de Beze complex vertical on January 16, 2023 linked in detail here. Another keen knowledgeable aficionado collector is Ian Mottershead who generously donated the wines for that Group of Eight event and again kindly did so for this Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin tasting/dinner on November 19 at Boulevard in Vancouver. We started with the underrated balanced value bubbles of CHAMPAGNE LE MESNIL BLANC DE BLANCS GRAND CRU followed by two delicious whites: MEURSAULT BLAGNY PREMIER CRU 2020 JOSEPH FAIVELEY Rich full oaky hazelnuts very Meursault defined with ripe flavours drinking forwardly.
CORTON CHARLEMAGNE GRAND CRU 2017 DOMAINE FAIVELEY 13.5 abv Cool south mostly east facing Ladoix upper hillside on hard rocky limestone soil. Two of fifteen barrels produced in 2017 for the first time from expanded plantings of Chardonnay. Light colour with young aromas of complex mineral fruit with subtle 40% new oak. So classy with great length but will develop depth and richer textures with more patient bottle age. Ian’s outstanding favourite. My vote for “Wine of the Night”.
The main event were 8 vintages of CORTON CLOS DES CORTONS FAIVELEY GRAND CRU. Recent plantings in 2002 & 1987 but lots of old vines 1977, 1976, 1971, 1965, 1956 & 1936.
Ian provided an insightful history and overview of Faiveley now with the seventh generation. Cellarmaster Blair Curtis provided his excellent detailed reaction on the reds summarized as “needing time of 10 years more”. Also his wise advice that they improved with food (duck breast & striploin) – especially 1996 & 1991. A few of my brief impressions:
1998: A bit angular and reserved nose. It does have cherries but the cedar tobacco is almost like young Bordeaux. Will develop and open up better with time.
1997: Beautiful but reticent bouquet of cherry core with brightness. Full mid palate with elegance and balanced acidity but more firmness on the finish. Underrated. My fav of this flight.
1996: This is lighter colour and leaner fruit but with tannins. Not an ideal balance. As the Chambertin showed a bit “strange” dry and tannic – not the best Faiveley vintage – but is better with food alright.
1995: Vibrant cherries sweet mid palate drying finish. My glass had too much fine sediment. The most enjoyable drinking presently of the first flight and the “surprise” for Blair.
Erwan Faiveley has told me that his father Francois made the wines from 1977 to 2005 using two different procedures:
1977 -1994: Grapes were brought into the tanks by gravity and gently vinified at lower temperatures always with an emphasis on saving the aromas and producing wines for aging.
1995 – 2005: Changed to a new cooling system for the harvested grapes using a pipe with glycerol that tended to break the skins releasing more sugar into the vats resulting in a more rapid and sometimes even violent fermentation at higher temperatures with wines of more extract and tannins but less finesse.
2007 to today: Back to the early days of Francois with outstanding wines with more silky refinement!
Your scribe noticed this difference in style with the first flight (1995-1998) more extracted drier tannins while the second flight (1993-1988) had much more finesse.
1993: Warmer year. Pure and penetrating with a tremendous mouth feel with rounder maturing tannins. Some finesse. Blair felt it was “underrated and spectacular”. Impressive indeed – as was Chambertin.
1991: One bottle corked so a smaller pour. A bit lighter but has charm. My glass unfortunately had a lot of sediment that spoiled the texture. Developed with long flavours.
1990: Best fruit depth and power of all the Cortons. Quite fresh. Lacking the charm which is so important to me. Lots of fruit depth though and balance so I am optimistic it will still develop more complexity and those silky textures given extended bottle age. One of our members Young was blowing air with a straw into this glass to help it open up. Unique idea.
1988: Bottle variation from sweet tobacco to cherry mint. Best had subtle developing flavours with elegance. No sediment in my glass so the texture is much better. Lots of elegance and balancing acidity. Very long. Old vibrant style of higher acid and firmer tannins of 1988 has come together.
A most interesting and educational tasting/dinner!
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