(Please see my overview of the vintage here.)
Technical director Jérôme Flous said that harvesting began on 28 August on the Côte Chalonnaise and the Côte de Beaune. The Côte d’Or finished about 16 September.
The Amoureuses and Echézeaux are made with some whole clusters, as were a few other wines that I did not taste and that are in the area of Chambolle-Musigny.
Some young vine cuvées were acidified. There was no chaptalization. Alcoholic fermentations were slow, and there were still some cuvées that hadn’t finished when I visited in October 2019. Malo-lactic fermentations were uneven; some finished by December, some finished in summer. Alcohols range from about 13º to about 14.5º. On the Côte Chalonnaise, yields were 39 hl/ha. They were higher in Côte d’Or, and the whites were much higher — around 50 hl/ha.
There was a big risk for brettanomyces, so the premiers and grands crus were racked in spring — first time in Jérôme’s 12 years that he has done this.
Given the inherent trickiness of the vintage and the very quick ripening of the grapes at harvest, it’s not surprising that there is some unevenness in the wines from a producer that covers as great an area as Faiveley.
All wines below are estate wines under the label Domaine Faiveley, except for those indicated Joseph Faiveley, which are negociant wines.
2018 Mercurey La Framboisière
Delicious, pure red fruits, very precise, good freshness, no lack of acidity. Ready to drink. This wine had just been bottled. 90/A
2018 Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands
Richer, slightly riper than the Framboisière, red currant fruit, round. (89-92)
2018 Chambolle-Musigny (Joseph Faiveley)
Purchased grapes. Finesse, a little reduction in the mouth, smooth, calm, elegant despite richness. Silky texture. (89-91)
2018 Beaune 1er Cru Clos de l’Écu
Some reduction in nose. Medium-light, dark fruits, not the definition or sensuality of the previous wines. Dry terroir in a dry vintage, not the desired combination. (86-88)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin vieilles vignes
Quite ripe, but medium-light on palate, floral red fruits, some calmness. Can drink early, but there are tannins on the finish which will support aging. Moderate acidity, but tastes balanced. Vine age averages 46-47 years. Most of the vines are from the Dupont-Tisserandot purchase a few years ago. (87-89)
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Damodes
Floral, spicy nose. Medium-light in mouth, spicy, dark fruits, elegant. Good freshness. Some licorice aspects in the mouth. (91-93)
2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges (Joseph Faiveley)
White flowers in the nose. Rich but light on palate, red fruits, round, still quite primary — should improve with more time. This wine usually is under the Domaine Faiveley label, but in 2018 some purchased fruit was included, no doubt due to reduced volume from the hail that affected the southern parts of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation. (90-93)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos des Issarts
This wine is the assemblage of both the upper and lower portions of the vineyard. The lower portion was replanted in 2005. Spicy dark fruits in nose. Medium-weight, still has some tension, although less than in most vintages, dark fruit, minerality. 14º, but don’t feel the alcohol. As always, this wine bears a distinct resemblance to Ruchottes-Chambertin, which is the vineyard immediately south of the Clos des Issarts. (90-93)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques
Typical stony dark nose. Smooth texture, stony dark fruits, a touch of licorice, still some energy. Good Lavaux-Saint-Jacques for the vintage, showing typicality of the vineyard, which is not the case for all wines from that vineyard in this vintage. (91-94)
2018 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers
Floral nose. Medium-weight, sappy dark fruits, light on palate, long. Good example of Cazetiers. (92-94)
2018 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses (Joseph Faiveley)
Very rich in texture, red fruits, a little confected — see again, may be better (or worse?). 25 hl/ha, thus very ripe. 25% whole clusters. Purchased grapes. (91-93?)
2018 Echézeaux En Orveaux
Rich, some sucrosity here; it should disappear with aging. Red fruits, spices, some tannin. A terroir that so far has benefitted from warming. About 20% whole clusters. (92-94)
2018 Clos-de-Vougeot
Elegant for Clos de Vougeot, but good density, spicy raspberry fruit, good acidity, a touch of sucrosity that should disappear with time. Not heavy. (93-95)
2018 Latricières-Chambertin
Very good energy, red currant fruit, clear, pure. Good excitement — this cool climate did well in 2018. (93-95)
2018 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
Pure dark fruit nose with a bit of animality in both nose and mouth. Very pure and very precise. Good length, excellent balance and freshness. Looking like a great wine. (96-98)
2018 Corton Clos des Corton Faiveley
Dark fruits, density of texture, richness, good complexity. Long, harmonious. Very good aging potential because of balance. (94-96)