2023 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey Blanc

When it comes to Burgundy, Domaine Faiveley is one of the very best addresses. This is a large family business with approximately 120 hectares of vineyards, including famous names such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Pommard, Volnay, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chablis Grand Cru.

However, it is also a family winery with 10 hectares of Grand Cru and nearly 25 hectares of Premier Cru. The first step was taken in 1825 by Pierre Faiveley; his son Joseph turned the winery into a magnificent top-tier company, and his wines became ambassadors of Burgundy wines around the world. With a clear, elegant, and distinctive style, they produce wines here that, without exception, meet the ideal image of a Burgundy. “A winery of very high quality, representing the full glory of French winemaking,” writes the French wine author duo Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve.

Domaine Faiveley combines the principles of modern winemaking methods with the age-old traditions that have been practiced for centuries in their 19th-century cellars. Each terroir and each vintage benefits from special attention that makes the cuvées unique. Every bottle therefore becomes a faithful reflection of its terroir.

This Pinot Noir comes from Mercurey, which is the largest appellation in Burgundy for red wine. The area is located in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise and actually consists of two villages: Mercurey and St-Martin-sous-Montaigu. According to legend, the village of Mercurey received its name from the Roman god of trade, named Mercury. It may also have originated from a Roman temple that once stood in the Premier Cru vineyard "Clos de Voyens". Whatever the case, Mercurey is considered today to be the most important village appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise.

The vines are planted on a soil of limestone and rock. The vineyards were planted in 1962, 1978, and 1981. Domaine Faiveley manages the work in the vineyards in-house, giving them excellent control over the quality of the grapes. The hand-picked harvest is carefully transported to the cellars in Nuits Saint Georges. Cold maceration of the skins precedes this, followed by a 10-day alcoholic fermentation, immediately followed by clarification. The wine ages in oak barriques for 12 months, after which it is clarified once more before bottling.

Faiveley's Mercurey Chardonnay is a very elegant Chardonnay with fruity and floral notes. The harmonious structure of this Mercurey leaves a pleasant freshness. Part of the wine has undergone 16 months of barrel aging. As a result, this wine has developed beautiful secondary aromas of vanilla and cedar. Ideal as an aperitif or with a meal.