Les Fèves

Les Fèves sits within the Beaune premier cru zone on the Côte de Beaune, covering between 3.8 and 4.4 hectares. The vineyard occupies elevations between 220 and 300 metres, with an aspect ranging from east to south. This orientation ensures generous sun exposure across the ripening season, a key factor in achieving the concentration and structure for which the climat is known. The continental climate brings warm summers and cold winters, demanding that viticulture be managed carefully to coax full physiological ripeness from Pinot Noir.

The soils at Les Fèves are clay and limestone, the combination that defines much of the Côte de Beaune and underpins the mineral character found in the wines. Clay retains moisture and contributes body and texture, while limestone provides the drainage and the chalky, stony minerality that lifts the palate. The interplay of these two soil types, combined with the elevation and aspect, gives Les Fèves its distinctive balance of richness and precision. The terroir consistently produces wines with depth without heaviness, a hallmark of the finest Beaune premiers crus.

Les Fèves carries one of the longer documented histories among Beaune premiers crus. The site was known in the 14th century under the Latin name 'Fae', a term that gradually shifted in spelling over the centuries until arriving at 'Fèves' by the 18th century. The word 'fèves' translates to broad beans in French, though the connection to the Latin root is linguistic rather than agricultural. Chanson, one of the appellation's most established négociant houses, has produced wine from this climat for many years under the label Clos des Fèves, cementing the site's reputation in the modern era.

Les Fèves produces only red wine from Pinot Noir, as is standard for the majority of Beaune's premier cru sites. The style is concentrated and refined, with depth and minerality at the core. Expect red and dark fruit, earthy complexity, and a firm but polished structure that rewards patience in the cellar. The clay soils add weight and a plush mid-palate, while the limestone brings definition and length. Chanson's Clos des Fèves is the benchmark bottling, offering a consistent expression of the climat's character and a useful reference point for those studying Beaune premier cru typicity.

Chanson Père et Fils holds the most prominent position at Les Fèves, bottling the wine as Clos des Fèves and maintaining a long track record at this site. The house is one of the key négociants in Beaune and their ownership here gives Les Fèves a reliable, well-distributed representation in the market. Château de Meursault also produces wine from the climat, bringing another respected name to this relatively small appellation. Given the vineyard's compact size, the number of producers is limited, which helps maintain a degree of coherence in how the terroir is expressed across available bottlings.