Medium, medium-plus cherry-red – looks young. Powdery fruit but with real creamy depth on the palate – completely primary. The palate is likewise very primary, showing a tour-de-force of tannin, more than adequately balanced by the fruit and acidity – super balance. Hard work on its own, but more than palatable with food. I’m so glad that someone else opened this as it means that my own should be safe for at least another 2 or 3 years before curiosity prevails. Give it a decade and it will be super!
Faiveley Joseph
1999 Faiveley Joseph Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze
Nightmare – bottle 1 – tainted as tainted can be, a big shame. Bottle 2 – medium-plus ruby red, still cherry at the rim. The nose starts in an almost syrah way, slowly unknitting to give a little woodspice then really dense black cherry that slowly becomes more red and shows a little coffee. There’s still a little grain from the wood, but this is one full-on wine with incredible length – you really can taste it minutes later. The palate has fine tannins, good acidity and super-intense fruit, shaded towards black. This is a wine that’s a big black shadow of its future self and despite commendable depth doesn’t yet shout ‘I’m a great wine’, but wait another 10 years and things might be starting to get very interesting.
1999 Faiveley Joseph Mercurey La Framboisière
1999 Faiveley Joseph Givry Champ-Lalot
1999 Faiveley Joseph Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley
From the Rognet area of Corton. This is medium-full in colour, with a gorgeous mixture of pure blackberries and cherries on the nose. Really full, mouth-filling, velvetty tannins and excellent acidity. It’s very rich and long with the black fruit clinging to the inside of your mouth with the tannin. Excellent, but really needs many years in the cellar.