Visit to Domaine Faiveley - tasting the white 2018s

On my November 2019 trip I had the opportunity to vist Domaine Faiveley to taste the celebrated, but also difficult, 2018 vintage.

The tasting was held with directeur technique (chief winemaker) Jérôme Flous, who gave us his selection from the Faiveley wines.

Normally I taste with Erwan Faiveley, but it was refreshing to get a different perspective on the wines from this large, competent estate.

Photo of Jérôme Flous – November 2019

At the tasting I sampled both reds (notes to come in a separate article) and a few whites, the topic of this article.

Domaine Faiveley now makes some top-end whites, after Erwan took over some very interesting vineyards from Domaine Monnot in 2008. These include plots in Bâtard-Montrachet and Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet, and Faiveley has other top-rank whites, including a Corton-Charlemagne and some Puligny 1ers crus to spice up the cocktail.

While I find Faiveley’s reds both very fine and constantly improving, the whites are perhaps edging ahead, at least on my curiosity scale. These are very interesting wines despite my slight personal reservations regarding the cooper used. Yes, I said it: I like to take a closer look at wines that use François Frères barrels, both to learn and to understand.

Tasting notes from November 14 2019

All the wines were tasted from cask at the Faiveley winery in Nuits-Saint-Georges, where the 2018 vintage is in elevage.

Domaine Faiveley Meursault 2018

The Meursault is quite intense for its level; lovely salinity on the palate and a composed expression. The minerality is fine and quite delicate. The 2018s do have a certain charm, with their ripe notes and in this case a slightly minty tone.

(Drink from 2025) – Very Good – (88 – 89p) – From cask 14/11/2019.

—-

Domaine Faiveley Puligny-Montrachet 2018

The Puligny-Montrachet is a step up – or perhaps the Puligny mineralty suits the estate style better; who knows? The mid-palate fruit is vivid and airy, with fine energy and a lovely, rich balance. The oak is doing a good job completing the balance and composure of this wine.

(Drink from 2026) – Very Good – (89 – 90p) – From cask 14/11/2019.

—-

Domaine Faiveley Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 2018

The Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts is somewhat on the warm side, leaning towards tropical and more exotic fruits. The fruit is nonetheless finely balanced with good composure, and the Francois barrels are really doing their job by helping get this somewhat generous wine into its “proper” place. From young vines planted in 2014.

(Drink from 2026) – Very Good+ – (90 – 91p) – From cask 14/11/2019.

—-

You need to login as a Premium subscriber to read the rest of this article. If you are not a Premium subscriber, use the subscribe function and sign-up.

Login

You need a Winehog subscription to see the rest of this article.

Tasting Notes for this producer

Faiveley summer wines: a Chambolle surprise June 25, 2020
Faiveley summer wines: a delightful La Framboisière June 19, 2020
Faiveley summer wines: the fresh Montagny June 13, 2020
Faiveley summer wines: the generous white Mercurey June 10, 2020
Faiveley summer wines: the vivid Ladoix June 8, 2020
Domaine Faiveley, Chambertin Clos de Bèze Les Ouvrées Rodin 2013 December 7, 2017
Domaine Faiveley, Latricieres-Chambertin 2014 February 11, 2017

Visit to Faiveley – Tasting the White 2021s
I’m back at Faiveley to taste with Erwan Faiveley. This was a quick taste of the 2021 white highlights – highlights chosen by Erwan. He is normally brutally honest about his wines and the vintage, and so it proved with the 2021s. Put plainly and simply: This was a somewhat difficult year, although with some truly ...
Visit to Faiveley – Tasting the Red 2021s
I’m back at Faiveley to taste with Erwan Faiveley. This was a quick taste of the 2021 red highlights – highlights chosen by Erwan. He is normally brutally honest about his wines and the vintage, and so it proved with the 2021 vintage. Put plainly and simply: This was a somewhat difficult year, although with some ...
The Clos Vougeot Tasting 2022
During the Grand Jours de Bourgogne there is usually a Clos Vougeot tasting for the press; and so it was this year. It’s a good initiative, although some of the wines perhaps lacked the standard that one expects from a modern-day Clos Vougeot. The prices of grand cru Burgundy today somehow raise the consumer’s expectations ...
Why not a white?
White wines in hot years often carry a lot of weight; the grapes have perhaps had a bit of a harder go in the press, releasing more tannins. This, combined with the nature of Burgundy’s southern appellations (Macon and even Rully) can produce some rather imposing and quite tannic wines, as opposed to vivid, lively whites. These ...
Terroir Insight: Domaine Faiveley Batard-Montrachet
Domaine Faiveley seems to have gotten quite a “bargain” in acquiring the Jean-Pierre Monnot estate in 2008. It added to its already impressive roster of vineyards a strong presence in Puligny-Montrachet – including village Puligny and the 1ers crus Les Referts, Champ Gain, and La Garenne. Even more prominently, important plots in grands crus Batard-Montrachet and ...