Just two barrels were made from these vines which are over 100 years old. There’s a glowing pink-purple colour, which is pleasingly fragrant with a touch of stems. Superb, delicate little pieces of fruit weave across the palate. This is really well put together, with amazing finesse for Pommard, and all the power you could want. Excellent.

This is the third year in a row that the domaine has suffered serious hail damage, which was especially bad in Marc-Olivier’s village, Volnay, and all the Pommards (Rugiens apart). Because of the hail, he used much less in the way of whole-bunch vinification, just 20 percent on Taillepieds and Rugiens, and none at all on his other wines. As ever, his gentle handling of extraction has resulted in very pale colours by modern standards, but this in no way affects the concentration of his wines. There are very good results here in 2014.

This has a vivid, pink-purple colour and bright red fruit. Up front, it is perfumed and seductive; behind it is brisk with some blood orange from the iron in the soil. The finish is very persistent. Just four barrels were made from half a hectare.

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.

This vineyard was formerly a jewel in the crown of Domaine Annick Parent. The 2013 has a glorious rich purple colour and a hugely flamboyant bouquet with rich dark red and black fruit. There is no sign of hail, indeed it is quite thickly textured. This will age very well.
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.

One third of Les Rugiens undergoes whole-cluster vinification. Medium to deep purple, the nose is laden with ripe, cherry fruit and only a touch of spice. Very appealing, there is a huge wealth of fruit on the palate, spectacular quality and lovely, fine-grained tannins. This shows the nobility of the terroir, with no indications of hail.

Étienne de Montille began picking whites on 10th and reds on 13th September, relatively early. Despite the hail (worst in Pommard than Beaune, Volnay less) yields were slightly improved compared to 2013. The fruit was clean with small berries, and beautiful clusters, so they were able to continue with their usual programme of whole-bunch vinification in most instances. The details are given for each wine. They will be long lived wines.

This is from vines which are over 100 years old, in Les Rugiens Haut. A vibrant mid-purple, there are all sorts of complexities on the nose, possibly even some ginger and lemongrass mixed in with the dense red fruit. However it is entirely pure in the mouth, with amazing density and superb minerality – very long and lovely. Drink 2025-2040.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Yields were around 25 hl/ha for his village appellations, less for the Premiers Crus. Marc-Olivier Buffet has restricted whole-bunch fermentation  to 30 percent for most cuvées, avoiding previously more extreme forays in certain vintages, but retains his approach of a very light hand on extraction so as to enhance the ethereal side of Pinot Noir. He enthuses about 2015 for the balance of ripe tannins and good acidity.

This Pommard is a hugely impressive wine. It is brilliantly rich and full of ripe fruit with some iron rich qualities. Very good weight is offered and this is a good sign of the stems being in behind. Lovely acidity cleanses the palate on the finish. This is a candidate for my wine of the vintage.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Etienne de Montille thinks he has made brilliant 2011s and we are inclined to agree with him. They have freshness, balance, low alcohol, good acidity, excellent fruit and wonderful tannin integration. Picking began on 27th August and continued through to the 9th September as individual vineyards ripened. The fruit has attractively ripe flavours while rarely getting beyond 12.5% alcohol and Etienne chose to include slightly fewer stems than in recent vintages, except for the top Cuvées. Certain wines are available in magnum and double magnum formats, please contact us if they are of interest to you.

Displaying fractionally more colour than the other Pommards and with a notable intensity of fruit from the start, this is a really fine wine. It begins gracefully, moves into the sumptuous, bursting with ripe cherries, before stretching out marvellously to a long silky finish.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Domaine de Montille picked between the 18th and 26th September in 2010. The red wines, made by American Brian Sieve (one of two winemakers in this catalogue born in Indianapolis!) under the surveillance of Etienne de Montille, now show a consistency of style and quality that perhaps was not entirely there a few years ago. The whites are the responsibility of Etienne’s sister Alix and maintain the class of recent times. Together they have produced a fine result in 2010.

More structured and with the precision youd expect from a Pommard, this has a terrifically rich and seductive nose. Theres an amazing level of detail thoughout and the fruit lingers long after the last mouthful. Drink 2015-2025.

Burgundy 2012 En Primeur - Favourite Newcomers
Specialising in Volnay, the estate suffered losses of almost 70% in 2012, but the wines are delicious. Clos de la Rougeotte is a monopole located near the village. Lovely sweet fruit, with crunchy freshness and lacy tannins. The delicateness of the wine is very attractive and this will be approachable early.
Fine Wine Team

Bright and clean dark fruit on the nose Clear, pure and bright fruit on the palate, concentrated but delicate and lacy, very Volnay. The finish brings in some ripe, fine tannins to bring balance. A lovely wine.
Chris Pollington, Fine Wine

A ‘Monopole’ this year but only a single barrel was made, exclusive to Berry Bros & Rudd. A rich, red purple in colour, with an excellent volume of fruit on the nose, this is more accessible than the Taillepieds. There is great weight of deep strawberry fruit on the palate and impressive persistence.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

We have bought wines from domaine François Buffet in previous vintages, but this is the first year that they are appearing in the Opening Offer. Marc-Olivier Buffet, son of François, is the man in charge. He has a superb range of Premiers Crus in Volnay and Pommard, and though he managed to make them all in 2012, volumes are minute: below 10 hl/ha. He did not use many stems in 2012 and such is the concentration of the wines that he will give them a longer barrel maturation than usual. Beautiful wines with great aromatics, and keen pricing to boot!

Faiveley ’s parcel in the Rugiens-Hauts mostly escaped the frost, with just five to 10 percent of the crop lost. Deep ruby in colour and with a vibrant nose of red berry fruit and subtle spice, this is an elegant expression. The palate is juicy with good density of fruit and prominent but chalky tannins that point at good ageing potential. Drink 2021-2029.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

At 115 hectares, Domaine Joseph Faiveley is one of the biggest domaines in Burgundy. The company has been based in Nuits-St Georges since the days of Pierre Faiveley who founded the business in 1825. His son Joseph gave his name to the family business, to be followed by the first François, Georges who helped found the Chevaliers du Tastevin, Guy who developed the business in the Côte Chalonnaise, François who has retired and now his son Erwan, born in 1979. The change of generation has dynamised the business: there’s been a notable expansion of vineyards, including Domaines Annick Parent, Monnot and Matrot- Wittersheim in the Côte de Beaune, as well as Dupont-Tisserandot (Gevrey) and Billaud- Simon (Chablis). Old-style Faiveley wines could be massively tannic at the expense of the fruit. From 2007 the wines are much fresher and fruitier, yet with real intensity. Harvest began on the 22nd September in the Côte de Beaune, taking an unusually long three weeks to ensure everything was fully ripe. In terms of frost damage, the Côte de Beaune was worst-hit, along with some Gevrey parcels, but where there was no frost damage, the yields were good. Stylistically, the red wines have seen slightly less whole-bunch than in 2015, and the wines continue in the new, more elegant style. The feeling is that 2016 reds are fresher and crunchier than 2015, while Erwan suggests that the white wines have the potential to be better than 2014.

Buffet’s centurion vines continue to produce outstanding fruit. There is just the one new barrel in 2016, but what a barrel it is! The nose is spicy with dense red fruit and a subtle rose character. Powerful and intense in the mouth, there is amazing structure here, with real grip and layers of chalky tannins. All the elements are there, but this needs several years for them to fully knit together. Drink 2023-2035.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

This family-run domaine, which dates back to 1692, is currently managed by Marc Olivier, son of François, though still with help from his parents. The family had a very successful négociant business, under the name Ferdinand Buffet, until the 1930s when fortunes were lost in the great crash. Even so, there is an impressive range of Volnay (Taillepieds, Clos des Chênes, Champans, Carelles, Clos de la Rougeotte) and Pommard (Rugiens, Clos Micot, Poutures) vineyards. Marc-Olivier uses some whole bunches when he feels the vineyard is suitable, though not for young vines. The wines are matured in barrel over 22 months. Marc Olivier began harvesting on the 24th September, bringing the grapes in at natural sugar levels of between 12 and 13 degrees, but at an eye-wateringly low 10hl/ha. He explained that the vinification looked after itself, with colour and tannin coming easily, thus no need to extract. He thinks that the wines display the softness of 2015, but with a good acid structure and ripe tannins. The village Volnay was so badly hit by frost – one barrel in 2016 versus 19 in 2017 – that it does not appear in our offer. As ever, the wines here are an elegant and ethereal expression of Volnay.