DOMAINE FELETTIG
Chambolle-Musigny
Domaine Felettig, a decade ago hardly anyone knew this name, and yet Gilbert Felettig’s wines are now considered as some of the finest in Chambolle-Musigny.
Gilbert and Christine are the second generations of wine-grower of this relatively young estate. They succeeded their father, Henri Felettig, who created the estate in the 1970s. Former vineyard worker, Henri first inherited 2 hectares of vine in 1965, he then spent most of his life growing the estate. Close to 30 years later Gilbert and Christine were taking over a 9-hectare Domaine.
Today, the domaine extends from Gevrey-Chambertin to Beaune, via les Hautes Côte de nuits and Beaune, on a total of 13 hectares. The Domaine comprises prestigious appellations such as Grand Cru les Echézeaux and many of the premier crus of Chambolle-Musigny.
Until recently, much of Felettig’s wine was sold to négociants, including the Dominique Laurent, Olivier Bernstein and Domaine Dujac’s negociant operation, all of whom valued the careful, organic farming of Gilbert. Now, however, Gilbert Felettig has found a style of his own in the winery, and the entire crop is domaine-bottled. The production here is limited with only about 50,000 bottles produced per year.
Over the years Gilbert Felettig has gradually and continuously increased the quality of his wines. Experimentations and changes truly started in 2011 and it is finally the 2013 vintage that marked a breakthrough at this address when Christophe Roumier gladly admitted that Domaine Felettig’s Chambolle-Musigny village was the best expression of Chambolle village of that difficult vintage.
Felettig wines are traditionally crafted, and very representative of a style of Chambolle. With wine lovers and countless critics singing his praise it comes as no surprise that Gilbert is universally seen as one of the rising stars in Burgundy. And with Gilbert’s daughter, Pauline, starting to get involved at the domaine, the continuation of this estate looks assured and in good hands!
In the Vineyard
Viticulture here is organic, with no use of herbicides or insecticides.
Meticulous work in the vineyards is carried out throughout the year and when the time comes everything is harvested by hand.
In the Cellar
The grapes are sorted both in the vineyard and upon arrival in the cellar. The rigorous selection ensures that only the best grapes are used.
All grapes go through a cold maceration for 6 to 7 days before naturally going into fermentation thanks to indigenous yeast. About 3 weeks later the must is racked off into barrels where it rests for 14 to 18 months. They usually use 50% of new oak for the 1er crus and grand crus and 30% for the village but no rule is set. The choice of the barrel is done carefully, making sure each wine particularity can be enhanced. Most of the barrels are sourced from Francois Frères.
After aging, the new wine is then transferred by gravity to a bottling line where it is bottled without fining or filtrating.
The frost of 2016 pushed Gilbert to started experimenting with whole bunch. Today, his careful use of whole cluster allows him to craft wines more muscular that combines intensity with effortless elegance.
Echézeaux Grand Cru
This cuvée of Echézeaux comes from a small plot located in the commune of Flagey-Echézeaux. Only 600 bottles are produced every year.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Carrières
Les Carrières is a tiny 1er Cru just below the village and above Les Chatelots. As the name suggests it was once the site of a quarry. This southeast-facing plot is located at 300 meters of altitude. The soil consists of a thin layer of clay on a very dense calcareous rock. There are only two owners of Les Carrières and Gilbert Felettig is the only one to bottle this 1er cru. About 2000 bottles are produced every year.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Charmes
Les Charmes is often thought to be most desirable 1er Cru in Chambolle-Musigny after Les Amoureuses. This cuvée comes from a plot of 0.22 hectares. The soil is made up of a thin layer of clay mixed with small pebbles, placed on a limestone base, thus giving very complex wines, very fine but with great potential. The exposure is full east, and the plot is slightly sloping. About 1200 bottles are produced per year.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Combottes
Les Combottes is located in the axis of the valley of the village of Chambolle. The exposure is southeast, and the plot is located at mid-hill, at an altitude of 330 meters. With 0.25 hectares of vines Domaine Felettig produces around 1500 bottles.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Feusselottes
This cuvée comes from a small 0.17-hectare plot. With an average yield of 40 HL/ha, only 1000 bottles are produced every year.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Lavrottes
Located in the north of the appellation, the little-seen vineyard is very well situated, just below Bonne-Mares and next the 1er Cru Les Baudes. Domaine Felettig owns 0.38 hectares of vine here and produces around 2000 bottles per year.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Gruenchers
The lieu-dit of Les Gruenchers is close to Les Lavrottes and Les Noirots. Felettig’s cuvee is made from 50 year-old vines from a 0.21-hectare plot. About 1200 bottles are produced every year.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Les Fuées
The lieu-dit of Fuées is in the continuity of Bonnes-Mares heading back to the village. The lower part of the vineyard, planted north-south, has a richer soil with few stones while the top of the vineyard is steep with little topsoil and is planted east-west. This cuvee comes from two very well located small plots. The first plot is located on the side of Bonnes-Mares and the second one is next to Les Cras. In average 1700 bottles are produced every year.
Chambolle-Musigny Village
Vieilles Vignes
This Chambolle-Musigny Vieilles Vignes comes from fifteen different plots in Chambolle. Covering three hectares of vines, the fifteen plots produce around 8000 bottles per year.
Chambolle-Musigny Village
Clos Le Village
The Clos le Village cuvee, comes from half-hectare enclosure planted 35 years ago in the heart of Chambolle-Musigny, on clay-limestone soil. The exposure is fully east, and the plot is located at mid-hill, at an altitude of about 300 meters. The average yield is 45 HL/ha, producing about 3000 bottles per year.
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
This cuvée of Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru is made from the blend of two plots: Les Petits Monts and Les Chaumes. Only 750 bottles are produced every year.
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru
Les Reignots
Aux Reignots is a lieu-dit situated just above La Romanée. Gilbert Felettig only produces 2 barrels every year.
Vosne-Romanée Village
This Vosne-Romanée village is the blend of two lieux-dits: Les Chalendins and Aux Jachées. The yearly production of this cuvee is approximately 2400 bottles.
Nuits-Saint-Georges Village
This cuvee is a blend of two plots: one in the north of the appellation, Aux Lavrières, and one in the middle section of the appellation, Les Chariots. The annual production of this Nuits-Saint-Georges is about 1500 bottles.
Gevrey-Chambertin Village
La Justice
The vineyard of La Justice sites just below the village of Gevrey and is considered as one of the best lieux-dits in Gevrey-Chambertin. Domaine Felettig produces about 2100 bottles per year.
Morey-Saint-Denis Village
En le Rue de Vergy
En la Rue de Vergy is a vineyard adjacent to Clos de tart. Felettig produces 1200 bottles every year.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits
This cuvée of Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits comes from a small plot in Viller-la-faye called Les Mouchettes.
Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru
Les Terres Blanches
Les Terres Blanches is a vineyard south of the Nuits-Saint-Georges appellation in Premeaux-Prissey. 900 bottles of this chardonnay is made every year.
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune
En Vallerot
The Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes-de-Beaune is made from a plot situated in the village of Magny-Les Villers, just above Ladoix-Serrigny. The chardonnays here are planted on marly soils. About 3600 bottles are produced every year.
Bourgogne Aligoté
Vieilles Vignes
This cuvée of Bourgogne Aligoté Vieilles vignes is a blend of differents plots of Aligoté, of around 45 years old, for an area of 0.50 hectares. Only 1200 bottles are produced per year.
