2010 Faiveley Monthelie Les Champs-Fulliot

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."

Monthélie is a diminutive appellation of just 450 acres wedged between Volnay and Meursault. The picturesque village of the same name has fewer than 300 inhabitants, all of whom are involved in making wine. The name Monthélie is thought to come from the Celtic phrase “mont-oloye,” meaning an elevation in the road. Both red and white wines can be produced within the Monthélie appellation, though in practice about 85% is Pinot Noir and 15% is Chardonnay. There are no Grands Crus but the appellation has 15 Premiers Crus, in whole or part. Four are relatively new, having been added in 2006. Until 1937, when Monthélie became an official appellation, the wine produced was sold as either Volnay or Pommard. Two of the best-known Premier Cru vineyards are Les Champs Fulliot and Sur la Velle. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that the best producers of Monthélie reds make “aromatic, graceful, elegant wines.”

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.