How Cool are Half Bottles?
2005 Faiveley NSG 1er Cru
Les Porrets St-Georges 375ml
A Grand Peek into the Potential of the 05s
"The Porrets is flat out stunning in 2005... Suave and rock solid at the core, with laser-like focus, great structure, ripe, fine-grained tannins, and outstanding length and grip... One of the best Nuits premier crus I have tasted in the vintage."
- John Gilman, View from the Cellar
It’s a bold statement for sure, especially considering the context of the outstanding 2005 vintage and the plethora of great premier crus in the Côte de Nuits.
But we’ll concede. The 2005 Faiveley 1er NSG Porrets is indeed an impressive little bottle - “little” referencing here only the actual bottle size and the price we’re offering it at today.
As for the wine itself, the 05 Porrets is decidedly not so small. Consider first the style of the 2005 vintage: ripe, powerful, well-balanced and sturdily structured enough to last a long time. Then consider the reds of Nuits-St-Georges: deep, meaty, tense with earth and mineral as well as fruit. And when they’re from a great producer like Faiveley, these can be some of the most ageworthy Pinots on the planet.
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The recipe turns out a serious 1er Cru Porrets with intense notes of juicy dark cherries, the village’s signature animal and mineral darkness gliding through the fruit, and a long finish that is dense and gripping while also conveying lift and buoyancy.
The site, which sits on a bed of limestone and marl just north of Les Cailles, lends its power and structure, while Erwan Faiveley's winemaking lets the distinct terroir speak with clarity and class, avoiding rusticity or, conversely, over-polishing or dumbing down. This is a substantial, impressive wine with a drinking window that, were it coming out of 750ml, probably wouldn’t be open for a few more years.
And yet, thanks to the very cool genius of the half bottle, you don’t have to wait that long - this size format is just starting to deliver tomorrow’s drinking pleasure today. In today’s case, half the size also means half the price - in fact, considerably less than half the price.
Normally, half bottles come at a premium due to the price of their production, but today you can compare sub-$30 halves to $65-100 wholes. The six-pack price makes this a tidy little cellar stash that will sit, happily, for at least another decade, and at the same time, the openness and sheer loveliness of this wine right now make it an ideal weeknight indulgence. As cool weather settles in for the long haul, I'm always looking for a little pick-me-up to go with dinners in - this will be my go-to in the coming months.
The bottom line is that it's tough to beat such an outstanding price on such a formidable wine from a great producer. To place your order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
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