Dupont-Fahn Auxey-Duresses Les Crais 2014

Auxey-Duresses (pronounced “Aussey”) stands at the entrance to a valley which runs from the Côte de Beaune into the Hautes Côtes, following the road that leads from Beaune to Autun amongst hump-backed hillsides. Together with its hamlets of Petit-Auxey and Mélian, Auxey-Duresses is one of Burgundy’s Celtic and Gallo-Roman wine-growing districts. It was formerly an outlying property of the abbey of Cluny, producing both grains and grapes. The corn-mills have now gone but there are still wine presses. Auxey-Duresses was granted its AOC status in 1937.

The domaine Dupont-Fahn is located in the heart of Côte de Beaune in the village of Tailly in Meursault in Burgundy. It extends over 10 hectares around Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Auxey-Duresses. 

Raymond Dupont-Fahn is a fifth generation winemaker and has worked closely with his father and grandfather from an early age. He started to manage his own Domaine of five hectares at the age of 21. Raymond Dupont-Fahn’s grandfather, Jean, created the Domaine in 1975 in the heart of the Côte de Beaune. 

Domaine Dupont-Fahn produces red Burgundy wines, as well as finely-crafted white wines made from Pinot Noir for red wines and Chardonnay grapes for white wines. Raymond Dupont-Fahn chooses to harvest his vines early, in order to obtain more acidic, less alcoholic wines. The domaines works without pesticides and harvests by hand. The domain benefits from a wide variety of climates giving different aromas depending on the terroir. 

The wine of this appellation is characterized by its bright ruby color and is neither too light nor too dark. The bouquet, too, is well-balanced between rich aromas of small black fruits such as blackcurrant, blackberry, bilberry and flower scents. In the mouth, the attack is refined and supple, measured, meaty and pleasing. When young, there may be a touch of astringency but its tannins soon soften and its texture becomes velvety and it develops musky notes such as leather and spices.

Les Crais are mainly made with Pinot Noir grape variety, just one of France’s most legendary grapes and the grape that earned Burgundy reputation. This vintage is notable for its light ruby red color and the presence of red fruits aromas, lemon flavor and some notes of fresh green herbs. This vintage is well-balanced with soft tannins, crispy acidity and good spicy finish.