Les Rugiens

Until 1st April this product is discounted by 30 percent. Price shown includes saving.*
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.
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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.

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.

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.

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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, Berrys' Burgundy Director