Clos-de-Beze

Glowing purple with an impressive density of fruit, though the detail is yet to emerge. Super-stylish, very graceful, yet the weight of fruit builds gloriously on the palate to a very noble finish with great persistence. It is all about the elegance. Superb. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

The 2013 harvest is the latest ever recorded at Burguet, starting 9th October, in the cold more than the rain – there was even some frost one morning. They have three separate sorting stations, though rot varied by sector. Vinification was normal, a long time in tank but a gentle approach. The 2013 is particularly, and consistently, successful chez Burguet.

A touch of oak shows alongside an impressive density of fruit, very opulent, suave and dense: backward of course, yet still offering a huge mouthful of glossy dark fruit. This is a remarkably supple wine, which is what distinguishes Clos-de-Bèze from Chambertin. Rich, dark fruit swells amazingly on the palate towards the finely balanced finish. A glorious wine waiting to evolve.
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

This wine is one of the paler wines in the cellar, yet with a haunting quality of soft red fruit. It is very pure, refined and exceptionally long with the floral perfume returning at the back of the palate. This is a classic rendition of Clos de Bèze, completely unforced. Drink 2025-2038.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Two changes to note in the Faiveley style this year: the diminution of new wood, a trend they plan to develop further, and the use of 25 percent whole bunches in the vinification for 2015, whereas previously it was very rare to use any. They maintained their practice of punching down rather than pumping over, and the combination of these points leads to wines which are more rugged and structured than their recent vintages. The harvest was completed between 2nd and 11th September.

Brilliant purple, very dense, with a wealth of concentrated red fruit on the nose, this starts quietly then builds enormously to the back of the palate. It’s suave and delicious, with a classical, peacock's tail finish fanning out at the back.

Erwan Faiveley believes that 2014 would be regarded as a great vintage – if only 2015 had not come along to trump it. He feels that the changes which have taken place in the cellar since 2007 have had a discernible effect on the quality of Faiveley wines, while similar qualitative changes in the vineyard are only now bearing fruit. Here, balanced but restricted yields are the key.

Imperial purple robe. The nose stands up to be counted, with some intense raspberry notes. Statuesque but light on its feet, easily in balance with the final tannins.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director

Maison Roche de Bellene Production has recently moved to a new facility on the outskirts of Beaune, which is making life much easier for the Roche de Bellene team. The philosophy stays the same: work with excellent grape sources and get the wines out into the market at competitive prices. The reds have had an excellent following for many a year now, while recently the whites have shown the same impressive price to quality ratio that makes this such a good address.

The resurgence begun by the trio of Erwan Faiveley, Bernard Hervé and winemaker Jérôme Flous, who arrived in 2007, is very apparent in this brilliant series of 2011 wines. They began the harvest on 31 August and picked for 9 days. There are some new wines this year from a contract for the whole production of an estate in Chambolle-Musigny and the Faiveley white wines from totally healthy grapes are particularly successful in 2011, perhaps the best we have seen from the new regime.

The nose here shows real grandeur and Jérôme Flous thinks it is better than ‘09 or ‘10. It presents a brilliant marriage of elegance and power, but without a sense of heaviness. It really could not have been made better.
Jasper Morris MW, Berrys' Burgundy Director

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Initially quite closed on the nose, but more accessible on the palate, notes of dark fruit and spice combine with ripe, yet grippy tannins to make a very impressive wine. This will need some time to show at its best, but will be very impressive when its mature.
Chris Pollington, Private Account Manager

A glowing deep purple, an initial barrel toast soon departs and fruit rushes in. There is a great sense of harmony, enhanced by ultra-concentrated cherries, flamboyant at the front, rich through the middle, perfumed and timeless at the back. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

Faiveley use three picking teams. Two started in the white wine vineyards on 28th September and were finished in four days. Then it was all hands to the red grapes. In general the harvest came in healthily, the hard work all year round in the vineyards paying dividends. We were once again very impressed.

This was sufficiently reduced to hide everything but the wood though its influence on the palate was considerably less if not invisible. The rich, minerally and utterly delicious medium-bodied flavors possess a subtle minerality that continues onto the mouth coating finish where the wood resurfaces. I suspect that this reasonably well-balanced effort will always display some wood influence but not enough to affect the finishing texture.
Allen Meadows - burghound.com - May 2011

Beautiful, graceful pink-purple colour and a sublimely seductive bouquet. An amazingly graceful expression, with beautiful refined raspberry fruit, a lovely pepperiness from the stems but the fruit returns in an exceptionally persistent finish. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

This is our first vintage with Domaine Bart, who makes wines of lovely understated grace and elegance. They had decent yields in 2013, just 10% below a full crop. Overall they have good colour and acidity with a fresh and cheerful fruit.

An addition to the list in 2009 and an exceptional wine. The colour is on the blacker side of imperial purple. The nose is magically exuberant, beautiful aromatics without any suggestion of over-ripeness. This really delivers a magical volume of flavour - one can sense a huge amount of detail which is currently lost inside the sumptuous wealth of fruit. Once again there are minerals lingering at the finish. Put this one away.
Jasper Morris MW, Fine Wine Buyer

The beautiful purple colour demonstrates the majesty of this wine. A regal nose of fine, black fruit, scented blackcurrant and cassis follows, yet with elegance and restraint. There is a lovely coolness to the fruit, introverted but with wonderful potential. A glorious harmony throughout, and a sinuous strength with rich, velvety tannins. 
Jasper Morris, MW - Wine Buyer

 

Burgundy 2012 En Primeur - Staff Favourite
This is all about power. Dense black fruit mingles with the oak. Everything perfectly balanced and will need at least15 years of cellaring. A wow wine.
Fergus Stewart, Fine Wine

A very beautiful, stylish colour and an extremely graceful perfume. This is perfectly proportioned and boasts an amazingly long finish, with the exquisite soft red fruit perfume refusing to die away.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The new era at Faiveley is now into its sixth vintage and the house style, which allows the fruit to express itself in a very seductive manner while enhancing the individual qualities of each terroir, has been safely established. Now the management is concentrating on reinforcing their supplybase with some crafty contracts and vineyard purchases in both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. We may be able to offer more cuvées in the future, and though opportunities are clearly limited by the 2012 vintage circumstances, we have been well looked after this year.