Tag: faiveley

ANOTHER JUICY ‘LITTLE’ 2017 RED BURGUNDY

Right up front, we’ll say that, thus far, the 2017 red Burgundies show the potential to be an exciting source for juicy Pinot Noir. Here’s another one to add to the ‘playlist’ from a proven performer that has upped their game over the last several vintages, most notably since Francois’ son Erwan (the seventh generation to handle the property) took the reins in 2005.  We’d love to tell you there was abundant press on this wine given this winery’s relatively high profile. But, as we have alluded to on many occasions, by the time the reviewers got through every single rare and expensive Premier and Grand Cru in a place like Faiveley, they didn’t have the inclination or notepad space to cover ‘little’ wines like this.

We’d love to have a great detailed story for you too.  But the Faiveley tech sheets only give you the most general references, “Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge is is sourced from vineyards spread throughout the terroirs of the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise…The Bourgogne Rouge is vinified in the cellars of Domaine Faiveley for 12 to 14 months in the same manner as their broad selection of reds from the Côte de Nuits.”

Riveting stuff, huh? 

In the end however, it’s the juice that matters and this amalgam of a variety of vineyard sources is a perfectly expressive Pinot Noir with bright, persistent, engaging red fruits, notes of spice, and a hit of earthy minerality.   Gregarious in the mouth, varietally pure, extra expressive, there are few Pinots in this price range from anywhere that work at this level.  Thanks to a warm 2017 vintage, this effort sports almost New World ripeness, which should make the ‘translation’ a lot easier for a lot of folks.

Hey, we love to tell a good story, but there isn’t anything really out of the ordinary to relay here except for the wine itself.  Given the sub-$20 price of the Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2017, that should suffice.  It’s just a tasty Pinot from a user-friendly vintage made by folks who are operating at the top of their game right now.  A definite candidate for ‘house Pinot’ given the price and performance. Yes, good Burgundy can be expensive, but there are exceptions.

LE ‘HOUSE BLANC’?

A good ‘all-purpose’ white is handy for most folks. Something that is fruit-driven, bright, clean and food-friendly covers most of the applications for this kind of white and value pricing is also part of the equation. Frankly, we have had the most success in that field with White Burgundy but so often wines with the simple Bourgogne label simply don’t deliver.

We usually are able to find a least a couple of wines that will check all the boxes, but this time around the 2017 Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc 2017 convincingly displaced one of our long-running players in that role.It simply had more going on, more verve, and made an impression in the glass. Overall we have been pleased with the 2017 whites from Burgundy, but this multi-appellation blend came off as particularly well built.

Floral aad wild herb notes in the nose, a surprisingly authoritative palate presence of pear and citrus, palate-coating body and a rather long finish, while it didn’t speak of a particular terroir it had loads of personality and performed nicely in the glass. About 30% sees a combination of new and used oak, but its personality is closer to a broader shouldered Chablis than a sappier domestic Chardonnay. It will hold in the bottle for 2-3 seasons for sure if need be.

Certainly, the underlying minerality from the marl, clay and limestone soils defined the wine’s origins and this lively white does not lack for character. Most Bourgognes don’t have this kind of presence and Faiveley winemaker Jerome Flous got all of this one, especially for under $20.