Domaine Faiveley: history and characteristics of the wines

This estate, located in Nuits-Saint-Georges between Dijon and Beaune, is one of the largest winegrowing estates in Burgundy. The family that owns the estate today is in its 7th generation of winemakers. The estate is currently run by Erwan Faiveley and his sister Eve, who have given it a new lease of life. Discover the history of Domaine Faiveley and the quality of its wines in this guide

A nod to the history of Domaine Faiveley .

This leading Burgundy wine producer was founded in 1825 on the initiative of Pierre Faiveley. At the time, the company was still a local wine merchant who assembled wines and offered them on the market. But from generation to generation, the family made a name for itself with its exceptional heritage of 115 ha of vines and its strong commitment to quality wines. Captain Georges Faiveley is just one of the personalities to have breathed new life into the estate. He was able to save the vineyards from the economic crisis of 1929 by putting all his energy into them, while at the same time creating La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in 1934. The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin was founded to promote the traditions of Burgundy, its wines and its gastronomy. At the time, Burgundy wines had no buyers. After his death, Guy Faiveley took over and doubled the size of the vineyards. He then decided to let his son, François Faiveley, manage the family estate for 3 decades. He in turn passed the torch to his young son Erwan at the beginning of 2005. The young manager decided to bring about a qualitative change in the vast estate by renovating the family building, buying a new vathouse and improving the taste and style of the wines. Erwan Faiveley, assisted by his sister and a team of fine technicians, aims to increase the vineyard estate so as to be able to offer a complete range of wines. To this end, he has acquired the Annick Parent estate in Monthelie and 5 hectares of prime land in Puligny-Montrachet. Today, the estate produces around 850,000 bottles a year, half of which are destined for the foreign market. Vineyards and winemaking process

Vinification at Domaine Faiveley.

The historic estate covers around 120 hectares of vines in the Côte des Nuits and Côte de Beaune. 12 ha are entitled to the Grands cru appellation, 27 ha Premiers crus and 5 in the "Monopole" classification. It farms some of the finest plots in the best climates of Nuits-Saint-Georges and produces 10 Grands crus and 20 Premiers crus. The grape varieties are Pinot Noir (100%) and Chardonnay (100%). The average age of the vines is 60 years. After harvesting by hand, the estate team carefully selects the ripe grapes. The best grapes are placed in wooden vats by gravity. Fermentation takes place in open vats, with daily punching of the cap to extract the tannins and colour. The must is then pressed to obtain a pure juice of great intensity before ageing in French oak barrels for 12 to 18 months. The vinification and ageing phases may differ from one vintage to another. But whatever the appellation, the constant temperature and hygrometry in the 19th-century vaulted cellars are imperative. In all, the domaine produces 54 different wines, plus the wines of the négociants, starting with Chambertin-Clos-de-Bèze, Musigny, Echézeaux, Corton-Charlemagne, Bâtard-Montrachet, Corton through to Gevrey Premier cru 'les cazetiers', Nuits Saint-Georges premier cru 'les vignes rondes' etc. An overview of the domaine's top wines

An overview of the best wines from the Faiveley estate.

Each bottle of the estate's Grands Crus and Premiers Crus reflects the high quality and diversity of Burgundy's terroirs. There is something to suit every taste and budget, from mellow textured wines to big, expressive wines, powerful wines with great body, nervous wines with fine tannins and wines designed for laying down.