Faiveley Clos de Beze Ouvree Rodin 2017

Faively has remarkable holdings in the Cru. Traditionally they made one wine from their three parcels but from 2010 they began to bottle off a tiny amount from their best patches and very old vines. They labelled it Les Ouvrees Rodin.
An ouvree is a very old term that relates to the amount of land that a vigneron could work on his own in a given day. Quite a romantic notion and a nod to the days of yore. In essence it is a tiny, a touch over half an acre I believe, plot of prime Beze territory set aside to make a wine that sits alongside their legendary Musigny as the domaine's reference point bottlings.

This is even more floral-inflected with an abundance of spice elements adding breadth to the airy and cool aromas of primarily red berries. Once again the mouthfeel of the medium-bodied flavors is quite sleek if not necessarily more complex on the sappy, focused and strikingly persistent finish. This is actually quite similar in quality and expression though with just a bit more mid-palate concentration. "Don't Miss" BURGHOUND

Les Ouvrées Rodin are defined by the quality of the pinot plants. This is certainly no deeper in colour, perhaps even a fraction lighter at the rim. There is a noticeably more concentrated dense brooding fruit to the nose, some black fruit here. After some time the oak appears. A huge wave of graciously sweet fruit and nicely judged oak, fruit absolutely on the cusp of red and black impressive density, still refined. Much greater depth of fruit and a touch of complexity too (98) JASPER MORRIS MW

Really a finer and more floral width - less overtly deep. So fresh and direct, some tannin at the base, but this is a wine of fresh concentration and finesse. Really it keeps delivering another flavour every few moments into the finish. A beautiful floral aspect to this fabulous wine. BILL NANSON, The Burgundy Report

Deep, dark and mysterious, rich and velvety, this is another amazing 2017 Grand Cru from Faiveley. The enormous power is tucked away in the background, so that you barely notice it. Wonderful minerality, married to caressing texture on the palate. Iron in the soul! (97) JAMES SUCKLING

Les Ouvrées Rodin is a small cuvée of Clos de Bèze, selected from vines that are more than 60 years old. It's worth trading up from the regular release, assuming you have the funds, because this is altogether richer, more complex and more concentrated. The 40% new oak is very well done, adding some cinnamon spice to the dense black cherry and blueberry fruit. TIM ATKIN MW