Faiveley (Mercurey) – 2018

26.12.2019billn

Julien Bordet, 2019Tasted in Mercurey with Julien Bordet, 18 November 2019.

Domaine Faiveley
Domaine de la Framboisière

1 grande rue
71640 Mercurey
www.domaine-faiveley.com

Julien on 2019:
2019 brought a very low volume – 50% down in whites – more like 30% in reds. The frost really didn’t affect the domaine but the weather and extending of the flowering made a large contribution, as did the dryness – there was no rain here in August, and so, despite the right number of grapes, there was very little juice. My only regret is the small harvest. Less than 20 hl/ha for many reds in 2019.

Julien on 2018:
2018 was was was a year that seemed to go fast in vines; it started late but then the growth was unbelievably fast – flowering was done in 3 days – after 11 years here I’ve never seen anything close to that. But the consistency that came from that was really impressive – we were already harvesting 27 August despite the late start of the vines. It all came so fast, the ripening coming so fast, and racking of the 2017s before – we were already tired before the harvest started. It’s certainly a very ripe vintage but we hope not too ripe, still looking for freshness of fruit in the villages though of-course something that has value to cellar in the 1er crus. In 2018 we had a good white harvest, but reds were still slightly low.

“Mercurey is a later harvesting area vs the Côte de Beaune. The challenge was to pick ripe but not too rich for the whites. Maybe it’s the most diverse terroirs of Burgundy.

The wines…

Great, great wines from Mercurey – a tour de force! Bravo!

2018 Mercurey Vieilles-Vignes
27 hectares of villages here, this an assembly of most parcels of the right age.
That’s a lovely depth of aroma – fresh but ripe. Wide, vibrant, lovely energy there is a little tannin but no astringency, nothing hard. The mid-palate flavour is wide and delicious – maybe even better in 6 months but here is top value. Bravo.
2018 Mercurey Framboisière
A nice monopole as it’s 11 hectares close to the village of Fontaines, two parcels are practically north facing – very interesting in the hot years says Julien. 25% wc and new oak – a mix of coopers.
Silkier, more power, less direct purity of fruit. Ooh – fresh, wide, gorgeous, slightly saline, mouth-watering. Great, great villages! Bravo!
2018 Mercurey 1er Clos du Myglands
Only 100m from the plot of Framboisière but a different world.
A more serious nose, more depth, still an impression of textural silk to the nose. Supple, more depth and concentration, layered and complexly mouth-watering. Lovely mouth-watering flavour – not losing much freshness but at the same time a large step up in flavour delivery – not the same level of deliciousness As the Framboisière – but not far away. Bravo!
2018 Mercurey 1er Clos du Roy
Much whiter soil, it’s planted to red but Julien thinks it could be great terrior for whites.
Hmm, a wide nose, wider than the Myglands and with an extra floral note. Fresher, fuller, the energy recalls more the Framboisière. Super energy, perfumed flavour – and freshness – this wine dances over the palate – bravo!
2018 Mercurey 1er Clos du Roy Cuvée La Favourite
Ever since 2009 Julien has seen an area in the Clos du Roy that he thinks superior with a very fine selection of pinot noir – only 2 barrels – no thermoregulation on wooden tanks – old-style production vs the others, 6 barrels to start but only 3 commercilaised, 50% wc and 50% new wood.
A certain weight, also a certain spice – not direct whole-cluster but it’s there. A grain of tannin in the base, but no astringemcy. More mouth-filling volume, the oak flavour perceptible here, really fine depth and a weight of finishing flavour not visible in the other wines, slightly saline too. You can drink this now, there are no hard edges and it is delicious, but it is such a baby!

Les Blancs…
The whites are not yet bottled:

2018 Montagny Blanc
All from same hillside. Cold stabilized, 20% new wood
A sherbert, richer fruit but some freshness too. A hint of gas. Drive, mineral freshness. Long and tasty – this moves fine over the palate – it’s fresh, not too much weight and very easy to take a second glass. Tasty wine.

2018 Rully
High on the hill though not much slope – was a lot of pinot here but without much character so replanted to white.
Hmm – a little oak toast on the nose. But bright, intense, beautifully textured and cool-fruited. Long finishing, more serious wine after the Montagny and will benefit from an extra 6 months – which it will anyway have as it’s not yet bottled! Excellent.

2016 Mercurey​ Clos Rochette
50% oak elevage, half of that new. Monopole, also neighbouring Framboisière. The bottom of the slope is a little richer soil and it’s this part that mainly sees some barrel elevage.
Rounder, a little richer, yellow citrus, more modest (aromatic) energy. Fresh, mineral, then growing in width of beautiful texture, growing and growing in complexity. Ooh, every second I spend with this I like it more – isn’t that what wine is about? Captivating!

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