Terroir Insight: Domaine Faiveley Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet

Domaine Faiveley has over the last ten years assembled an important holding of white Burgundy vineyards, mainly with a new stronghold in Puligny-Montrachet which includes village Puligny and the 1ers crus Les Referts, Champ Gain, and La Garenne.

Even more notably, it now has relatively prominent plots in grands crus Batard-Montrachet and Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet supplementing its old and beautiful parcels in Corton-Charlemagne.

The Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet is a very good wine in the Faiveley portfolio, almost – or perhaps sometimes – matching the fine Batard and Corton-Charlie.

So let’s take a look at the Faiveley Bienvenues – history, plots and the full monty.

I like Faiveley whites

I have really come to like Faiveley whites, with their controlled yet vivid fruit. They have a lovely hedonistic balance without going overboard in a hippie, organic-wine style.

The three grands crus battle each year for the yellow jersey, and while the Bienvenues is always in with a chance, the Corton, with its old-vine character, is my current favorite.

The Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet vineyard was planted in 1980 and the Batard in 1985 and 1997. The Corton is an old Faiveley property, acquired in 1874 and planted in 1933, 1935, 1987, 1988 and a bit in 2010. So there is quite a number of older vines on the Corton hill.

The Bienvenues-Batard parcel is nevertheless 40 years now and in its prime, producing a very balanced and expressive wine.

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