Faiveley Musigny Grand Cru

Musigny and Petits Musigny are situated on a rocky terrace overlooking the Clos de Vougeot parcel and facing the rising sun. There was previously a Gallo-Roman settlement here owned by a certain Musinus who gave his name to what would later become one of the most prestigious terroirs in the whole of Bourgogne Ten vine owners currently produce Musigny Grand Cru wines and we are the smallest with just three "ouvrées" in surface area. We own two small parcels, one in the North and the other in the heart of the appellation.

Winemaker notes

Thanks to its aging in flakes, smaller than traditional barrels, this wine presents an atypical profile. Of remarkable density, with chocolate aromas, it also offers fresh, liquorice and vegetal nuances from the whole harvest. This aromatic richness and its persistence on the palate are remarkable, it is definitely a wine with an assertive character.

2016

Burghound 94-97: Here too wood and menthol aromas are present on the firmly reduced nose. There is seriously good richness to the mocha and spice-tinged flavors that possess superb concentration while brimming with minerality on the driving, powerful and gorgeously persistent finish where the only nit is a hint of warmth. This is classy and refined but like several wines in the range, very serious in the sense that it's built for long-term aging. In a word, brilliant.

Vinous 94-96: (due to the tiny crop in 2016, Faiveley blended its two plots to make three-quarters of a barrel of wine; vinified with 50% whole clusters): Bright, dark red-ruby. Musky, smoky, reduced nose. Then wonderfully silky and rich on the palate, with its flavors of dark chocolate, black tea and cocoa powder conveying a powerful terroir character. Today the wine's fruit is in the deep background, yet this smoky, chocolatey Musigny conveys great breed. "Not a wine, but a tasting experience for the connoisseur," says Jérôme Flous. Today I prefer the two Clos de Bèze cuvées and the Clos des Cortons for their pure fruit intensity. (Incidentally the 2015 Musigny Joseph Faiveley, made from Faiveley's recent purchase of a tiny parcel of vines from the Dufouleur family, was bottled in magnums.)

2017

Burghound 93-96: Moderately strong reduction flattens the underlying fruit today and all that can be discerned is the wood treatment. More interesting are the rich, velvety and fresh broad-shouldered flavors that are at once seductive yet serious while delivering good if not truly distinguished depth and persistence. This is showing somewhat awkwardly though the underlying material seems to be of sufficient quality that my projected range is probably reasonable.

Vinous 95-97: The 2017 Musigny Grand Cru comprises a blend of the original parcel and the new postage-stamp-sized acquisition between de Vogüé and Roumier. Erwan Faiveley said that his father enjoyed tannic wines and that his only exception was Musigny - because it was so small, it was the only wine vinified using gravity. There is quite a hefty reduction on the nose that makes this difficult to read. The palate, though, is pure class, with filigreed tannin, wonderful focus, firm grip and a very mineral-driven finish. Outstanding.

Decanter 95: The Faiveley Musigny was fermented with 100% whole bunches in 2017 then aged entirely in new wood. It's quite a structured, ambitious wine with comparatively dense tannins, some smoky reduction and a meaty undertone. It needs a year or two in bottle to show its class.

2018

Burghound 94-97: Moderately prominent wood frames strikingly elegant purple fruit, in particular plum, along with a broad array of Asia tea, exotic spice and floral nuances. There is evident refinement to the pure and attractively vibrant medium weight plus flavors that possess superb mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in a firm, balanced and gorgeously lingering finale. A classic Musigny of velvet-wrapped power and grace.

Wine Advocate 95-97: There's an almost unprecedented 400 bottles of Faiveley's 2018 Musigny Grand Cru this year, a tiny cuvée that was vinified with 50% whole cluster. Soaring from the glass with a profound bouquet of cherries, wild berries, peonies, incense and licorice, the wine is full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with superb balance and a long, resonant finish. This is one wine that has entirely sublimated the sun-kissed sweetness that defines the vintage, the terroir effortlessly dominating the year.

Decanter 95: It's not a wine,' says Jérôme Flous, 'it's an experience.' Well, maybe. Now made from two parcels, it sees 50% whole clusters and 100% new wood, producing a wine that is firm, tannic and savoury with lots of ageing potential. It's not the most graceful Musigny of the vintage, but there's plenty of fruit weight and intensity on the palate.

2019

Burghound 95-98: A restrained yet elegant nose reluctantly offers up its notes of plum liqueur, black fruit and a wonderfully broad range of exotic Asian-style spices that in particular includes sandalwood and hoisin. The rich, generous and gorgeously textured and imposingly big flavors caress the palate thanks to the abundance of dry extract that helps to buffer the firm, austere and mouth coating yet chiseled finish that displays simply huge length. This knockout effort is at once powerful and seductive and a wine that should be genuinely great in time.

Wine Advocate 95-97: The 2019 Musigny Grand Cru is a magical wine in the making, soaring from the glass with scents of peonies, blood orange, wild berries, rose petals and subtle hints of musk and smoked duck. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and sumptuous, it's deep and pure, with ultra-refined structuring tannins, lively acids and a long, exquisitely perfumed finish. Given the tiny production, this isn't a cuvée that one encounters with any regularity, but readers with the requisite disposable income who encounter a bottle or two shouldn't hesitate.

Decanter 98: Faiveley farms two parcels in Les Musigny - one near the bottom of the slope at the northern extremity of the appellation and one at the top of the slope next to Roumier. Half of the fruit here was fermented as whole clusters. The massive wine is slightly reticent at first, but opens up with black fruit, liquorice and oak spice, along with a sauvage note. The overall impression is somewhat dense and imposing, yet very subtle and appealing.

2020

Burghound 96-98: A strikingly floral-suffused nose features notes of kirsch, cassis, black raspberry and hints of wood. There is excellent volume to the velvet-textured and sappy flavors that exude ample minerality on the driving finish where hints of bitter chocolate and oak appear. This gorgeous effort is very firmly structured and should enjoy an exceptionally long life as it's very much built for it. Brilliant.

Wine Advocate 95-97: The 2020 Musigny Grand Cru is exquisite, mingling aromas of wild berries and blood orange with nuances of exotic spices, forest floor, rose petals and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, multidimensional and sensual, it's beautifully refined, with vibrant acids and a silky, seamless profile, concluding with a long, licorice-inflected finish.

Decanter 99: A stunningly beautiful wine from two small plots that total 0.13ha. The grapes are fermented as 50% whole clusters and since there is so little fruit, the wine is fermented directly in the same cask it will age in (fermentation integrale). There is more than enough substance to overcome the oak, however, and this has profuse aromas that range from pomegranate to black cherry and plum, accented with floral notes of rose petal and peonies, then exotic spices such as star anise and liquorice, along with a bit of smoke from the casks.

2021

Burghound 93-96: Moderate wood surrounds the ripe, fresh and exotic aromas of plum, black cherry, sandalwood and jasmine tea. The sleek, concentrated and powerful larger-scaled flavors exhibit excellent drive on the refined and hugely long finish where the wood reappears. This is an imposing wine in the context of the 2021 vintage and even though it is on the oaky side today, there is sufficient density to progressively integrate it over time.

Wine Advocate 93-96: There are the equivalent of some 400 bottles of the brilliant 2021 Musigny Grand Cru, a full-bodied, layered and seamless wine evocative of rose petals, exotic spices, sweet red berries, candied peel and peonies. Concentrated, supple and sensual, with a rich core of cool, perfumed fruit, it's a special wine in the making.