Domaine Faiveley, Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos des Issarts 2016

Deep ruby red in colour with notes of ripe fruits, oak and touch of liquorice on the nose. The palate offers silky smooth tannins, an elegant mouthfeel, good balance and excellent length.

Nestled unassumingly on a quiet street in beautiful Nuits St Georges, Faiveley, headed by the suave and welcoming Erwan, is quite an operation. One of the truly great, historic Domaine of Burgundy, with stunning cellars and many glorious holdings from Gevrey to Pommard, via some brilliant Grands Crus, Erwan and his new team have everything that a Burgundian could desire. Traditionally, the Faiveley style was uncompromising but while still unquestionably making some of the longest-lived wines in the Côte, there is today far more finesse and precision in evidence, pointing to a more careful and up-to-date approach.

The climatic conditions were very mixed in 2016. The harvests took place later than usual in order to allow the grapes to reach their optimum ripeness levels. The wines have a beautiful violet colour with rich, fruity aromas on the nose. They are smooth, round and fleshy with a very rich structure.