2006 Domaine Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru

Medium red. Quite closed on the nose, hinting at smoked meat and botanical herbs; smells drier than the Latricieres. Then wild on the palate but less expressive, with some cherry and raspberry perfume emerging with aeration. Finishes with serious, chewy tannins and a saline suggestion of soil. Very closed today and in need of extended cellaring.

Deep red. Musky, wild small berries, brown spices, minerals and game on the complex nose. Suave, silky and sweet, but with noteworthy energy to its tactile saline, earth and mineral flavors. Much less about pinot fruit than about soil. This uncoils slowly on the back half, with the tannins arriving very late. Hervet notes that Faiveley pulled up the 20% or so of these vines that were planted on SO4 rootstock, which produced larger clusters, and that the improvement in the wine was immediate.

Complex nose – dark fruit and spice and savoury notes. Then a little dry on the palate. Fine grained, quite smooth, restrained but lingering finish. But overall a little bit tough, maybe overly traditional in the way the fruit has been handled? (JH)