No one, outside of the growers who have long resided in the village itself, has deeper roots (as it were) in the

Cote Chalonnaise village of Mercurey than Domaine Faiveley. The family’s holdings in the appellation go back centuries and are unparalleled in both breadth and quality. Their multitude of single vineyard bottlings of both Mercurey Rouge and Blanc are some of the most coveted, long-lived examples from the appellation you will ever find. In addition to several wonderful Mercurey village-level wines, they bottle several wines from the best-known crus in the appellation including an iconic red and an elegant white from Clos Rochette, a monopole the Faiveleys have farmed exclusively since 1933. This is a uniquely inhospitable site more resembling a moonscape than a vineyard. Now organically farmed, the vines, both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, were planted as far back as 1960 and sit on a tough-to-cultivate hardpan of small rocks and pebbles, hence the name ‘Rochette.’  The yields are, at best, parsimonious, and the wines, both red and white, are substantial and built for the long haul. The Clos Rochette Blanc has become, for those who know Faiveley well, the absolute signature wine of the domaine, and cheerfully cellar it alongside all the far more exalted (and expensive) whites they produce from further north. The good news is that Mercurey, like Rully and Montagny nearby, no matter how good they are, will never sell for the kinds of prices the whites and reds of the Cote d’Or fetch, making them still the best bargains you can find in top quality Burgundy. The 2023 Clos Rochette Blanc has just arrived. We believe it can drink with any Meursault, Puligny or Chassagne you will find. In fact, with over half the wine fermented in wood (25% of which is new), there’s a ton of extraction and natural acidity to back it up, you might be hard pressed to tell the difference. Upon uncorking, there’s a lovely floral note to go with its Meyer lemon crème brulee, baking spice and yellow cherry notes. Full-bodied and still nobly austere, for a big wine, it’s quite svelte on the palate with the wood adding a bit of welcome roundness that culminates in Clos Rochette’s hallmark stony finish.  Use big stems and watch how this gorgeous Chardonnay develops in the glass as you enjoy it with wild mushrooms, richer poultry and duck dishes, a nice ripe Epoisse or your richest fish and seafood preparations! Still a fine value, you’ll be happy to open this tonight as well as in ten years. Very highly recommended.