2009 Faiveley Mazis-Chambertin

Domaine Faiveley is in Nuits-Saints-Georges in Burgundy. It was founded in 1825 as a negociant and several generations of Faiveleys worked to shape not only their own business but to improve the reputation of Burgundian wines. In the 1930s Georges Faiveley, then the family patriarch, was one of two Burgundians to found the influential Conferie du Tastevein, an organization that was over the decades instrumental in raising the prestige of Burgundy's wines. Today the estate is run by Erwan Faiveley, and besides still running a negociant business the family makes highly regarded Grand Crus, Premier Crus and villages wines. The estate includes 25 acres of Grand Cru parcels, including the monopole Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley. There are also two Premier Cru monopoles, Gevrey-Chambertin Cru Clos des Issarts, and Beaune Clos de l'Ecu. Burgundy writer Clive Coates has written that Domaine Faiveley "is one of the greatest sources of quality wine in the whole of Burgundy."

Mazis-Chambertin is a 22.4 acre Grand Cru vineyard near the village of Gevrey-Chambertin. The name Mazis is sometimes spelled with a “y” or without the final “s.” The soil is shallow and somewhat rocky, and the wine made from this vineyard is considered excellent. The legendary Lalou Bize of Maison Leroy is one of the smaller landholders with about .6 of an acre. There are some 30 proprietors with parcels in Mazis-Chambertin. The largest are Hospices de Beaune, with 4.38 acres; Bernard Dugat-Py, with 3.05 acres; and Joseph Faiveley, with 3 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.