Domaine Faiveley : Chambolle-Musigny 1er cru "Les Fuées" 2018

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Fuées" 2018 from Domaine Faiveley

Tasting

Appearance
The wine displays a deep, brilliant ruby-red hue, reflecting lovely concentration while retaining remarkable clarity.

Nose
Particularly expressive, the bouquet unveils an alluring aromatic complexity. Aromas of ripe red fruit mingle with smoky, toasted notes. With aeration, floral hints of violet emerge, accompanied by delicate touches of vanilla and spice brought by aging in oak barrels.

Palate
The attack is supple and welcoming, before the palate gradually reveals its intensity and depth. The tannic structure, both compact and elegant, frames the fruit perfectly without aggressiveness. A fine saline minerality—hallmark of the limestone terroir of Les Fuées—runs through the tasting. The finish lingers at length, with mineral and spicy notes that underscore excellent aging potential.

Food and wine pairing
This Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Fuées" 2018 pairs beautifully with refined white meats such as roast veal or veal in a light sauce. It also enhances noble poultry such as pigeon, quail, or woodcock, delicately prepared. Game lovers will appreciate its match with subtle preparations. On the cheese side, opt for soft cheeses with a bloomy rind such as Camembert or Brillat-Savarin.

Serving and cellaring
Serve this Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Fuées" 2018 between 16 and 18°C to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity. Decanting for 30 to 60 minutes before serving will allow the wine to open up and reveal its full aromatic range. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve until around 2035, gaining further harmony and complexity over the years.

The finesse and concentration of a Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru

The estate
Founded in 1825 in Nuits-Saint-Georges, Domaine Faiveley is among the largest vineyard owners in Burgundy, with around 120 hectares spread across the Côte de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune, and the Côte Chalonnaise. Since 2005, Erwan Faiveley has led this historic House, joined in 2014 by his sister Eve, representing the seventh generation of the family. The estate has distinguished itself through its conversion to organic farming, certified in July 2025, making it the first Burgundian producer to convert such a large surface area. Under the impetus of Erwan and technical director Jérôme Flous, the estate modernized its facilities with a new vat room inaugurated in 2018, favoring gravity-flow vinification and an approach that respects each terroir. Domaine Faiveley owns parcels in Burgundy’s most prestigious Climats, including several Grand Crus and the historic monopole Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley.

The vineyard
The Premier Cru "Les Fuées" lies in the northern part of the Chambolle-Musigny appellation, immediately adjacent to the Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares. Domaine Faiveley’s plot covers 0.47 acre and benefits from deep, fine clay-limestone soils characteristic of this Climat. The vines were planted in two distinct periods, in 1944 and 2011, providing a diversity of vine ages that contributes to the wine’s complexity. Situated between 250 and 300 meters in altitude with an eastern exposure, the parcel enjoys ideal conditions for optimal ripening of pinot noir while preserving aromatic freshness and natural acidity. The significant limestone component of the soils encourages the development of complex mineral nuances, a signature of the typical elegance of Chambolle-Musigny wines.

The vintage
The 2018 vintage stands out for an especially early growing cycle in Burgundy. After early budbreak, flowering took place in early June under excellent conditions. Summer brought sustained heat and sunshine, notably compressing the ripening cycle. At Domaine Faiveley, harvesting began on August 27, the earliest date since 2003. Despite this exceptional earliness, the grapes reached full phenolic ripeness while retaining freshness and aromatic precision, thanks to rigorous harvest management and precise control of fermentation temperatures. The 2018 season delivered generous volumes, yielding concentrated yet balanced wines, defined by expressive fruit and harmony.

Vinification and aging
The grapes for Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Fuées" 2018 were hand-harvested and carefully sorted before vinification. Fermentation took place in the new vat room inaugurated in 2018, allowing precise temperature control and the exclusive use of gravity for all wine movements, thereby eliminating mechanical pumping. Manual punch-downs were carried out to encourage harmonious extraction of phenolic compounds. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 14 to 16 months in French oak barrels from carefully selected coopers, with around two-thirds new oak. This proportion provides a subtle oak framework without masking the expression of the terroir. The wine was then racked and refined before bottling.

Grape variety
100% pinot noir