Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey 1er Cru (Burgundy, France) 2009

 As my WRO colleague Michael Apstein has been reporting for more than a year, the 2009 vintage for reds in Burgundy are exceptionally good.  One of the most important specific manifestations of the vintage’s quality is that appellations located some distance from the famous Côte d’Or produced wines of a quality level that could usually only be found at much higher prices on the Côte itself.  Here’s a case in point showing fine color and density but with no hint of over-ripening.  The flavors are deep and delicious, but there’s still an appealing freshness to the dark cherry fruit and a host of subtle savor undertones.