Domaine Faiveley Corton Clos des Cortons 2016

Bright ruby. Fruit-driven aromas of crushed black cherry and dark raspberry convey outstanding pungent lift. Incredibly concentrated, sappy and primary, conveying outstanding juicy purity and compelling thickness to its dark fruit and violet flavors. At once hugely powerful and utterly seamless, this wine finishes with great spicy length and lift. A real essence of Burgundy--and likely to evolve gracefully for 25 years or more. 95-98

The serious depth is held in reserve for now, offering black cherry, black currant, incense, earth and mineral flavors. This supple red is balanced by fleshy fruit up front, with the buried structure emerging on the finish. Reveals a terrific aftertaste of graphite, licorice and mineral. Best from 2023 through 2042. 1,500 cases made, 160 cases imported.

Sweet Spot: Touches of wood and menthol can be found on the brooding and inexpressive nose of plum, dark cherry liqueur, freshly turned earth and a gamy note. There is an appealing sense of underlying tension to the concentrated big-bodied flavors that also coat the palate with dry extract while exhibiting excellent length on the balanced and very firmly structured finale. Patience strongly advised. 92-95

The 2016 Corton Grand Cru Clos des Cortons Faiveley is another cuvée that is showing superbly from bottle, revealing an attractive bouquet of ripe red berry fruit, orange rind, wood smoke, espresso roast and dark chocolate that's framed by a deft touch of classy new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, satiny and lavish, with a deep and layered core, excellent concentration, vibrant acids and a long, beautifully defined finish. This is one of the finest rendition of the Clos des Cortons Faiveley produced under the new regime.

From one of the many divisions of the Corton Grand Crus, this wine is richly endowed with tannins and densely textured fruit. Packed with ripeness and with a sophisticated structure and texture, this is a wine for aging. Don't even think about drinking it before 2024.

The Clos des Cortons from Faiveley is impressive in its ambitious style. Its nose of black fruits, liquorice and game bird is framed by a generous application of high-quality new oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, sapid and nicely intense, with polished, fine-grained tannins and a bright core of fruit. This should offer dramatic drinking over a long period.