Faiveley: for the patient winelovers

10 Feb 2012: I helped organise the Faiveley wine dinner last night at Island Tang Restaurant. Decanting was not possible with so many bottles of wine – so we just arranged for the red wine to be opened at 6 pm, with the white wine around 7:30 pm. Young Etienne Payen, brand ambassador of the domaine, joined us from Shenzhen.

The 2008 Corton Charlemagne was a little closed at the beginning and took about an hour or more to open up in the glass. Citrus, green apple and white peach notes, with hints of toasty oak and nutty character. On the palate, subtle nuances of oak influence and minerality are nicely complemented by flavour intensity and acidity, giving the wine a classic and ageless quality. This wine is already enjoyable with some aeration, but it will be an absolute beauty in 3 – 4 years’ time. Giving the youthfulness and nicely chiseled acidity, it made a very fine accompaniment to the baked crab meat served in its own shell.

The 2007 Gevrey Chambertin Clos des Issarts was drinking beautifully now. A slightly funky nose of red fruit and rose petals, layered with something earthy and mineral. On the palate, it shows a more delicate structure of finesse and gracefulness, combining just the right amount of acidity, fine tannin and gorgeous fruit, wrapped in lighter style frame, with reference to its higher altitude.  The pairing with deep fried frog’s legs with pepper and salt was impeccable. The Peking duck also worked beautifully with this wine…..much better than with the still very robust and tannic 2005 Echézeaux, which showed a concentrated nose of black fruit and spice, still very austere, despite its mouthfilling richness. To be honest, I didn’t mind the tannin so much and thought it robust enough to stand up to the intensely flavoured and rich preserved liver sausage stuffing inside the pigeon’s leg! Clearly a wine for the medium-long haul, with further life of 10 – 15 years, and drinking much better from 2015.

Frog's legs with salt and pepper and pigeon leg stuffed with preserved liver sausage

2004 was a challenging vintage but it was well expressed in the style of the 2004 Chambertin Clos de Bèze. A lovely perfume of raspberry, plum, leather and tea leaves, with a slight herbal and vegetal quality. A little sappy on the palate.  A wine with much sophistication, depth, elegance and finesse, if not density, concentration and power.  A wine better enjoyed in the longer term. Try it again in 2016+!

2000 Mazis Chambertin was a clear favourite amongst us…..In true Mazis style, the wine demonstrated more firm structure, concentration, power, enhanced by a suppleness from the vintage and warm spicy note. Black fruit, liquorice, forest floor…...this wine has beautiful acidity and ripe tannin that makes it a perfect pair with the grilled rack of lamb with sea salt, and also the wok-fried rice noodles with sliced beef and XO sauce.

The 1998 Latricières Chambertin demonstrated a very sophisticated structure with subdued fruit quality and firm ripe tannin that was starting to mellow.  Latricières has deeper and cooler soil (more clay content) and needs a wamer vintage to show its finest.  The wine took a long time to speak to us….it could have done with some decanting. There’s an untamed/austere edge to it at the beginning , but eventually it opened up to reveal a more harmonious wine of immense muscular dimensions and great complexity of plum, earth and mushroom like vegetal character.  A wine built for the really long haul, best to be enjoyed after 2015+, or now with plenty of aeration. Finishes long.

The stewed Wagyu beef cheef with Zhu Haw sauce was delicious, but it didn’t quite find good company with the wines of the evening….perhaps the 2000 Mazis Chambertin?



Grilled Rack of Lamb with Sea Salt

 I thought the restaurant did a very good job with the food and the serving of the wine - I particularly recommend the pigeon leg stuffed with liver sausage, the simply grilled rack of lamb with sea salt and the Peking duck.  The baked crabmeat was not as good as the version at Lung King Heen or China Club - the breadcrumbed top was more like a doughy skin than a light dusting.  The braised kale was also not as successful - should have just asked for simply stir-fried kale.