Château de Marsannay Marsannay Les Favières 2015
A beautifully mature red Burgundy from the northern reaches of the Côte de Nuits, offering impressive depth and character from an excellent vintage.
Made entirely from Pinot Noir, it combines ripe black cherry and bramble fruit with increasingly complex notes of spice, woodland and subtle earthiness developed through bottle age.
Les Favières is a particularly well-sited vineyard, producing a more structured and concentrated style of Marsannay while retaining the elegance and freshness that define fine Burgundy.
Now with more than a decade of maturity, the 2015 offers a compelling opportunity to experience properly developed Pinot Noir at a fraction of the price commanded by many of its more famous Côte de Nuits neighbours.
France
Burgundy
750ml
13%
2015
Village / Named Climat
MarsannayChâteau de Marsannay is situated at the northern gateway to Burgundy's Côte de Nuits and manages around 40 hectares of vineyards. Its holdings encompass a number of distinctive climats within Marsannay, allowing the estate to produce individual wines that showcase the differences in soil, exposure and vineyard position across the appellation.
Les Favières is one of these individual sites. Château de Marsannay owns approximately 0.7 hectares, divided between three parcels situated mid-slope with an east/south-east exposure. The soils combine limestone and marl with gravel, providing the drainage and mineral character particularly well suited to Pinot Noir.
Following careful sorting and destemming, the wine undergoes cold maceration and fermentation before approximately 13 months in barrel, including 40% new oak, followed by a further three months in tank. The estate describes Les Favières as a particularly fleshy and elegant expression of Marsannay, characterised by concentrated fruit, structure and a long finish.
The 2015 vintage is now showing the benefits of bottle maturity, allowing its initially firm structure to soften and its fruit, spice and savoury characteristics to become increasingly integrated.
Marsannay Les Favières is a medium-bodied, dry Pinot Noir that combines the elegance of Burgundy with more depth and structure than you might expect from a lighter red.
At over ten years old, the fresh berry flavours of its youth are beginning to evolve towards more complex earthy, spicy and woodland flavours, while the tannins have softened and become more integrated.
If you enjoy premium Pinot Noir, mature Rioja or elegant Italian reds, but want something less fruit-driven and more complex, this is an excellent introduction to mature Côte de Nuits Burgundy.
- Nose: Expressive aromas of black cherry, blackberry and mature red fruits combine with notes of woodland, gentle spice and subtle oak. With bottle age, expect increasingly savoury and earthy nuances to emerge.
- Palate: Medium-bodied but impressively concentrated for Pinot Noir, with ripe black cherry and bramble fruit supported by fine tannins, fresh acidity and a distinctive stony mineral character. The 2015 vintage gives the wine generosity while retaining excellent energy and structure.
- Finish: Long, structured and elegant, with lingering dark fruit, spice and mineral notes alongside the developing savoury character of mature Burgundy.
- Roast Pork – Tender pork complements the wine's elegant fruit and savoury character.
- Beef Cheek – Slow-cooked beef works beautifully with its depth and mature complexity.
- Veal – Delicate meat allows the finesse of Pinot Noir to remain centre stage.
- Duck Breast – Rich duck is balanced by Burgundy's freshness and fine tannins.
- Wild Mushroom Risotto – Earthy mushrooms mirror the wine's developing woodland character.
- Comté or Gruyère – Nutty mature cheeses complement its savoury complexity.
- Serve at 15–17°C – Slightly cooler than room temperature preserves the wine's perfume and freshness.
- Open carefully 20–30 minutes before serving – Given its age, avoid prolonged aggressive decanting; gently decant only if sediment is present.
- Use a large Burgundy glass – The broad bowl allows mature Pinot Noir's delicate aromas to develop.
- Drink now – At over a decade old, this is firmly within its mature drinking window and I'd enjoy it now rather than buying it primarily for further long-term cellaring.
5 The Market Place
Derrylin
Enniskillen BT92 9AN
United Kingdom
