2017 Faiveley Clos De Vougeot Grand Cru, Burgundy

From three plots, not the best placed but suited to the drier years such as 2017. Very dense deep colour. This has solid concentrated density of dark red fruit, firm structure behind, a Clos Vougeot that knows it is a Clos Vougeot. It will need several years in bottle to show its true colours, but all the ingredients are there. Quite well muscled tannins at the back. Tasted Nov 2018.

93-96 points Jasper Morris MW insideburgundy.com

The 2017 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru comes from a parcel that Erwan Faiveley candidly said is less consistent, at the mercy of the weather and dependent on a dry season. It has a charming, quite effervescent bouquet of raspberry and cranberry fruit infused with candied orange peel. A tangible sense of mineralité develops with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied, displaying gentle grip, good structure and maybe a little more detail and tension than the Echézeaux at the moment. Good potential.

93-95 points Neal Martin vinous.com

Black cherries and plums with an intense, earthy note. Great depth and structure, the power married to cool freshness that gives this great vitality. Enormously long and complex finish. Try to wait until at least 2023.

96 points jamessuckling.com

2017 Domaine Faiveley Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is a commanding and deeply classical expression of one of Burgundy’s most historic vineyards, shaped by both the power of Clos de Vougeot and the long heritage of one of the Côte d’Or’s great family domaines. Clos de Vougeot is a vast walled Grand Cru founded by Cistercian monks in the twelfth century, with a complex mosaic of soils that range from deep clay at the base of the slope to much stonier limestone higher up. Faiveley’s holdings are well positioned, drawing from parcels that bring both structure and finesse, allowing the wine to show authority without losing definition.

Domaine Faiveley was founded in 1825 and is now led by Erwan Faiveley, representing the seventh generation of the family. Over the past two decades Erwan has overseen a quiet but significant evolution of the estate, refining vineyard practices, lowering yields and dramatically improving precision in the cellar while staying true to Faiveley’s fundamentally classical style. The domaine works extensively by hand in the vineyards, with a strong focus on soil health and old vine management, and vinification is tailored parcel by parcel to capture the character of each site. The 2017 vintage was relatively early and generous, producing wines of purity and balance rather than brute force, an excellent match for a Grand Cru of Clos de Vougeot’s scale.

In the glass the wine shows a deep ruby to garnet colour. Aromas unfold slowly, revealing black cherry, dark plum and redcurrant layered with rose petal, spice, iron, forest floor and subtle savoury notes. The palate is broad and powerful yet well proportioned, delivering dense red and dark fruit, firm but polished tannins and a long, savoury finish driven by limestone minerality. There is a sense of quiet authority rather than excess, with structure that promises long life and complexity.

This is a wine built for the cellar and the table, superb with roast duck, beef, game, truffle dishes and mushroom based cuisine. It will evolve beautifully over twenty to thirty years, developing layers of leather, dried flowers, earth and spice while retaining its core of freshness and structure. 2017 Domaine Faiveley Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is a confident, serious Burgundy that reflects both the grandeur of the vineyard and the disciplined, refined hand of one of Burgundy’s most important houses.