"Stupendous length and intensity"
-Burghound
2001 Faiveley
Corton-Clos des Corton Magnums
BIG Value, LARGE Format
There's something very special about back-vintage Burgundy magnums.
For me, there are few things better.
We've said it before, but it bears repeating: Magnums are perhaps the perfect format for aging and the ideal size for convivial gatherings with family and friends.
Thrilling as they are, the price tag is often an obstacle, particularly as Burgundy prices continue their upward trend.
That said, a little strategy and hunting can turn up some serious deals. Today is a case in point, and a great example for "back filling," a classic move of savvy buyers facing price increases for newly released vintages (think 09 and 10). As the prices rise for the newer bottles, back-vintages often get overlooked and they remain priced as they were years ago. Inevitably, the older vintages catch up, so timing is everything.
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These are the only mags of Faiveley's 01 Corton-Clos des Corton in the U.S. I bought as many as I could, but it doesn't amount to all that much. When they're gone that's it.
The 2001 vintage continues to gain momentum for its mineral driven classical style and sheer quality. It's a sleeper vintage par excellence, and the value here is all the stronger for it. The lean mineral driven purity that causes so much praise today made for angry young wines during barrel tastings. Soon enough, the flashier and fleshier 2002 vintage relegated it to shadows.
With much insight, Stephen Tanzer remarked in 2004, "For Burgundy purists, many 2001s will be must purchases. The stars of the vintage may be every bit as good as the best 2002s in the long run." Today, 2001s are just beginning to show just how compellingly elegant they truly are.
2001 is also a vintage where the best sites had the greatest success. And when it comes to the Corton, Clos de Corton is a very special patch of vines. If Corton has a reputation for power, Faiveley's monopole Clos des Corton presents Corton at its most polished with an elegance that often eludes this Grand Cru.
Clos des Corton seems to pull off that magical feat of consolidating the best attributes of its neighbors and rendering them with a unique profundity and depth. In Clos des Corton you have muscle married to refinement and layered complexity.
Faiveley's 2001 Corton-Clos des Corton is just entering its drinking window and easily has another decade plus ahead of it. It's simply a great value for the cellar or, with some decanting, your next dinner party.
To 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