Faiveley is where my research on wood - and coopers - began a couple of years ago...with Bernard Hervet, the managing director. That first experience left me shocked. At the end of the tasting I was able recognise the flavour profile of the individual barrel maker easier than that of the site. Earlier this week I tasted the 2009s with Jerome Flous, Faivelely's technical director.

Barrels - as we all know - are not recipients, like pots and pans in the kitchen, but ingredients in and of themselves. As at most of the leading estates in Burgundy, this comparative tasting often boiled down to Taransaud versus Francois Freres, but of late Dargaud & Jaegle have impressed me on certain wines as well. That said, there doesn't seem to be a silver bullet.  Comments