We visit Domaine Joseph Faiveley in Nuits St. Georges. The visit included a tour and a tasting of 7 wines with Brand Ambassador Mathilde Nicolas.
We toured the old cellars of the main building of Domaine Faiveley. This year, unfortunately, we were not able to visit the barrel and tank cellars. I have added pictures from last year's visit of the barrel and tank cellars.
Domaine Joseph Faiveley is one of the biggest domains in the Bourgogne and, many would argue, one of the best. This illustrious company has been based in Nuits St Georges since the days of Pierre Faiveley who founded the business in 1825. His son Joseph gave his name to the family business, to be followed by (1) the first François, (2) Georges who was instrumental in founding the Chevaliers du Tastevin, (3) Guy who developed the business in the Côte Chalonnaise, (4) François who recently retired and (5) now his son Erwan, born in 1979.
Guy Faiveley, a brilliant intellectual who had a collection of diplomas had the difficult job of succeeding his very colorful father. Yet, with his impetus, the domain doubled in size. François Faiveley took over the domain at the age of 25. He was able to give it a new boost – using a precursor of the sorting table and carrying out cold macerations for example. At the same age as his father, Erwan Faiveley took over the domain in 2007, becoming the seventh generation. On his arrival, he renewed and reinforced his team and invested in the winery and the vineyards. He brought new dynamics to the family business, while remaining faithful to his predecessors' values.
Initially, the company was a classic négociant, buying and selling wine. Bourgogne wines started to experience greater fame in Louis 14th's reign, when those high up in the King's court and foreign ambassadors in Paris started to take an interest. It was against this background that Pierre Faiveley founded the négociant business in 1825.
But from generation to generation, with a strong commitment to the quality of Burgundy’s patrimony, the Faiveley family has purchased vineyards and is today among the largest owners of classified vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise.
The objective of the family today, led by Erwan Faiveley, is to increase the firm’s holdings of great vineyards so that there can be complete control from vine to bottle across the entire range of wines.
On October 15, 2013, in a surprise announcement, Domaine Faiveley reported it had acquired 20 hectares of vines previously owned by Domaine Dupont-Tisserandot, which is based in Gevrey-Chambertin. All together, the firm now presently owns 123 hectares of vineyards among which 12 hectares are grands crus and 27, premiers crus.
Along with this focus, Erwan Faiveley and General Manager Bernard Hervet have renovated the cellars, which now boast state-of-the-art barrel presses, custom-designed wooden vats and among the finest, air-cured oak casks available in the world. Unlike many wine growers, Domaine Faiveley has united the management of its vineyards and its cellar under the direction of one technical director, Jerome Flous.
The grapes are entirely destemmed and fermented in new custom-designed wooden vats for the finer wines, conical stainless steel tanks for the lesser cuvées. Fermentation is slow and at low temperatures.
Wines mature afterwards in oak barrels in 19th century vault cellars that offer ideal conditions for long ageing. These barrels coming from great coopers have been rigorously selected for their fine grain and light toast. Both premier and grand cru wines may receive two-thirds new wood.
Many of Faiveley's top wines are hand bottled with no filtration. This in turn results in clean, opulent wines that often show Pinot Noir at its best.
Faiveley’s white wines are both silky and powerful. They bring together purity, tension and minerality. The red wines are the perfect illustration of a successful marriage of elegance, precision and concentration.
The objective of the family today, led by Erwan Faiveley, is to increase the firm’s holdings of great vineyards so that there can be complete control from vine to bottle across the entire range of wines. Along with this focus, Erwan Faiveley has renovated the Domaines cellars—in both Nuits-Saints-George and Mercurey—which now boast state of the art barrel presses, custom-designed wooden vats and among the finest, air-cured oak casks available in the world.
This write up is based on what I learnt from Mathilde Nicolas during the tour and tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-Georges and the Faiveley web site, supplemented by the excellent write-ups on the web site of Berry Bros. and Rudd as well as Frederic Wildmann.
Tasting
Les Vins
Les Rouges
2014 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey “La Framboisière”
This wine has a really fruity powerful nose, which mixes greedy red and black fruit aromas and woody notes. But it is on the palate that it shows its full potential, where it is powerful and fleshy with flavors of raspberry and other very ripe red fruits, almost as if we were biting into them.
2014 Domaine Faiveley Gevry-Chambertin
A brilliant dark ruby color. The expressive and complex nose has aromas of red fruits with woody notes. We find these same aromas on the palate which are well enveloped by delicately blended tannins.
2014 Domaine Faiveley Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Les Porêts St-Georges"
A deep ruby-red color. The nose has black fruit notes and woody, fiery aromas. After a round and full attack, this wine proves powerful and full-bodied. It is well-balanced and of high quality, with good cellaring potential.
2014 Domaine Faiveley Corton "Clos des Cortons Faiveley" Grand Cru
A rather intense black colour. The nose is powerful, concentrated, fruity and woody. The attack is strong and tannic. The tannins are firm, but well incorporated by the smoothness. We are in the presence of a wine of great volume, with supple tannins and very long-lasting aromas and tastes. This is a fine wine for cellaring.
Les Blancs
2014 Faiveley Bourgogne Chardonnay
2014 Domaine Faiveley Rully “Les Villeranges”
A brilliant light yellow color. A blend of mineral flinty aromas and very ripe fruit aromas gives a nice fresh bouquet. This wine is very pleasant on the palate, sophisticated and round at first, with a slightly acid finish, which gives a beautiful freshness to the whole.
2014 Domaine Faiveley Puligny Montrachet "Champgain" Premier Cru
The nose is very nice and charms with its both subtle and enveloping character. We find aromas of citrus fruits, exotic fruits and light toasty notes there. This wine is full on the palate and strikes a balance between fatness and liveliness. A harmonious wine with long-lasting aromas.
Postings: Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours:From Lyon to Reims - Wine, Food, Culture and History (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours: From Lyon to Reims - Wine, Food, Culture and History
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Introduction to the Burgundy Wine Region at Antic Wine in Lyon with Flying Sommelier Georges Dos Santos - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, Paul Bocuse’s Iconic Restaurant in Collonges au Mont d’Or, France - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
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Visit and Tasting at Domaine Georges Descombes in Vermont, Villié-Morgon, Beaujolais - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at Restaurant Le Mercurey in Mercurey - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
At Domaine Theulot-Juillot in Mercurey, Côte Chalonnaise, with Nathalie Theulot - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour of Château de Rully and Tasting of Domaine du Château de Rully Wines, with Count Raoul de Ternay - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
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Where Robert Parker likes to Eat: Lunch at La Crémaillère in Auxey-Duresses - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Walk in Meursault with Karoline Knoth - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at the 1 Michelin Star Restaurant Ed.Em in Chassagne Montrachet - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Olivier Leflaive in Puligny Montrachet: Vineyard Walk and Cellar Tour, with Olivier and Patrick Leflaive - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Lunch and Wine Tasting at La Table de Olivier in Puligny Montrachet with Olivier Leflaive – Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Visit: Hospices de Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour by ombiasy WineTours 2016, France
Lunch in a Typical French Brasserie: Le Carnot in Beaune - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Visit and Tasting: Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune– Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours, France
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Beaune, Bourgogne
An American Making Ultra-Premium Wines in Burgundy: Visit and Tasting at Domaine Dublère in Savigny lès Beaune, with Owner/ Winemaker Blair Pethel - Bourgogne (and Champagne) Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting Natural Wines with Maurice Marle at Chez Maurice in Beaune - Burgundy (and Champagne) 2016 Tour by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-George, Côte de Nuits
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean-Jacques Confuron in Prémeaux-Prissey Côte de Nuits with Louis Meunier
Lunch at Restaurant La Cabotte in Nuits-Saint-George
Visit and Tasting at Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair in Nuits-Saint-George with Thibault Liger-Belair
Visit of Château du Clos de Vougeot
Where the Most Expensive Red Wines Come from: Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Anne Gros in Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Guillon & Fils in Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, with Jean-Michel Guillon
An Institution: Lunch at Restaurant Chez Guy in Gevrey-Chambertin
Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Armelle et Bernhard Rion in Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, with Alice Rion
Tour at the Fontenay Abbey (Bernard de Clairveau), Montbard
Wine Pairing Lunch, Cellar Visit, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Jean Marc Brocard in Préhy, Chablis
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars and other Wine Venues in Chablis, France
Champagne– An Introduction, France
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Visit and Tasting at the Grower Champagne House Champagne Jean Josselin in Gyé sur Seine, Champagne, with Jean Pierre Josselin, his Wife and Sharona Tsubota
Cellar Visit and Tasting at the Champagner House AR Lenoble in Epernay, Champagne, with Export Manager Christian Holthausen
Cellar Visit and Tasting at the Champagner House Taittinger in Reims, Champagne
Lunch at Brasserie Flo in Reims