Two excellent red wines

[Nicklasss]

Last night, two different reds with the flank steak. The Côte Rôtie was excellent, in a raspberry style, light spicy meat, mauve flavors. Full of elegance on the palate, fruity, flattering, raspberries and blackberries, supported by a beautiful mineral and floral side. Fine tannins.

The Mercurey is surprising for the price. Dark, well perfumed nose of red berries, dark red flowers, fresh grapes. Mouth full of crunchy fruit, it looks like biting into the bunch! A nice side of mauve grapes, nice freshness, from the soil, a slight vegetal side, well integrated oak. Really beautiful.

[stefan]

At a restaurant, when I want a Burgundy, I often look for Mercurey. Generally has a good QPR and, more importantly, most are quite nice when young. Not surprising that it is better than the young Rostaing at this time.

[JimHow]

I have ten half bottles of this swill in my cellar, 2005 Faiveley Mercury Les Mauvarennes, which I have found absolutely undrinkable over the years.
It is valued at $23 on Cellartracker for a 750 so I'm guessing others are not enamored with it either.
I may take a sip sometime soon to see if it has gained any palatability.
I wonder if these were just a bad lot or if it's just a bad wine?
I've literally found them undrinkable. Not corked, just acerbic and sour.

[JCNorthway]

I wonder if you had some damaged bottles. I don't know this particular bottling, but it is a quality producer from a great vintage. Perhaps they were just too young? I've only begun to open some of my 2005 red Burgs.

[DavidG]

Sounds pretty disappointing for a BWE WOTY Jim.

[Nicklasss]

Faiveley is a good producer, and their Mercurey are normally good.
But as much as i liked Faiveley's Mercurey in the past, that one from François Raquillet is quote something, and punching way above it's weight!

Bourgogne can still reserve surprises... and stefan is right, both wines were great, but i give the edge to the Côte Chalonnaise Bourgogne!

[jal]

So count me as a Not A Fan
Not of Faiveley which I think is heavy on structure, depth and all that intellectual stuff and short on charm
Not of the 2005 vintage in burgundy which is taking way too long to be drinkable
And not of Mercurey in particular, which is indeed a bargain, but I find them a little harsh (I know, gross generalization), I prefer regular Bourgogne from great producers if I want a good qpr
Rostaing Côte Rotie on the other hand is awesome.

[Claudius2]

Guys
I used to buy Faiveley wines with some frequency in the 80s and 90s but not since. The few wines I’ve had recently were very much winemakers wines rather than being typical of the regions they come from.

Jim
If the Mercurey isn’t much good now then it is not getting better. The wines from the Cote du Challonaise do not live as long as the Cote D’or wines so I can only assume that you will never like them.

[marcs]

I have ten half bottles of this swill in my cellar, 2005 Faiveley Mercury Les Mauvarennes, which I have found absolutely undrinkable over the years.
It is valued at $23 on Cellartracker for a 750 so I'm guessing others are not enamored with it either.
I may take a sip sometime soon to see if it has gained any palatability.
I wonder if these were just a bad lot or if it's just a bad wine?
I've literally found them undrinkable. Not corked, just acerbic and sour.

Old school Faiveley (pre-2008) is extremely different than new school Faiveley (post-2008). Old school was super structured and almost bitter until it matured which took ages. I wouldn’t expect old school Faiveley to do well at all in Mercurey where there is less fruit to work with. New school Faiveley is more fruit-forward and hedonistic, while still retaining subtlety and purity of fruit in its best wines. Had an excellent 2009 Faiveley Latricieres the other day

[jal]

I have ten half bottles of this swill in my cellar, 2005 Faiveley Mercury Les Mauvarennes, which I have found absolutely undrinkable over the years.
It is valued at $23 on Cellartracker for a 750 so I'm guessing others are not enamored with it either.
I may take a sip sometime soon to see if it has gained any palatability.
I wonder if these were just a bad lot or if it's just a bad wine?
I've literally found them undrinkable. Not corked, just acerbic and sour.

Old school Faiveley (pre-2008) is extremely different than new school Faiveley (post-2008). Old school was super structured and almost bitter until it matured which took ages. I wouldn’t expect old school Faiveley to do well at all in Mercurey where there is less fruit to work with. New school Faiveley is more fruit-forward and hedonistic, while still retaining subtlety and purity of fruit in its best wines. Had an excellent 2009 Faiveley Latricieres the other day

Interesting. I never buy this producer, time to reconsider

[JimHow]

I also have a half bottle of 2005 Faiveley Corton Clos des Cortons and a 2005 Faiveley Vosne Romanee. The cellartracker notes on the 2005 Faiveley Mercurey are generally not good but those who like it speak of an earthiness and rusticity, etc., which would normally appeal to me but this wine seems undrinkable to me in its hardness. I remember my father was still alive when I first bought these wines and even he couldn’t drink it, and he was a big Two Buck Chuck guy (until I turned him on to fine northern Medoc).

[AKR]

GeneM and I had one of Rostaing's older Cote Rotie's last summer, before they had named the base blend 'Ampodium'. It didn't show well among the other wines, but prior experiences with the vintner have been good. From what I have read, he's not a likable person, even if the wines are.

[s*d*r]

I have ten half bottles of this swill in my cellar, 2005 Faiveley Mercury Les Mauvarennes, which I have found absolutely undrinkable over the years. . . I've literally found them undrinkable. Not corked, just acerbic and sour.

So count me as a Not A Fan
Not of Faiveley which I think is heavy on structure, depth and all that intellectual stuff and short on charm
Not of the 2005 vintage in burgundy which is taking way too long to be drinkable

I bought a few bottles of ‘05 Faively Premiers (CM Combes d’Orveau, CM Fuées, GC Combes aux Moines, NSG Les St. Georges) on release thinking due to the vintage they had to be pretty good. I try one a year but I’m still waiting to find the first one that is drinkable. Excruciatingly tannic, bitter and sour too. Time to sell them to someone who has more Blanquitos in their tank.

Maybe I should be glad though. They helped convince me to stop buying Burgundy so I could buy more Bordeaux.

[Blanquito]

… helped convince me to stop buying Burgundy so I could buy more Bordeaux.

Wiser words were never spoken.