A love of wine has been passed on from one Faiveley generation to the next for more than 180 years. The Domaine has always remained in the same family and today Erwan and Eve, the 7th generation of the Faiveley family, are at the helm and are keen to respect the traditions and savoir-faire of the family while looking to the future.
Domaine Faiveley believes that the quality of the wines comes from the fruit. To make sure they are able to get the best fruit and resulting wines, the team has invested in separate winemaking and viticulture teams in the Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise, fine-tuned their barrel selection, and built a state-of-the-art winery in Mercurey. Last year, the family completed the renovation of their cellars in the heart of Nuits-St-Georges.
The result is classic Burgundies with wonderful longevity, aromatics and an unique, elegant style. Recognised as one of the finest producers in Burgundy, the Domaine continues to go from strength to strength under Erwan and Eve.
This Côte Chalonnaise village gets its name from the God Mercury (God of Merchants). The story goes that a temple was erected here in honour of this deity. A Roman road called ‘la voie Agrippa’ (Agrippa’s Road) crosses through Mercurey, which in Roman times, linked Chalon-sur-Saône to Autun. Today, Mercurey numbers 1,400 inhabitants and is known throughout the world for the reputation of its wines. It is the largest wine-growing community in Burgundy with over 600 hectares of vines.
Total Surface Area: 655ha
Soil: Clay/Limestone
Domaine Faiveley surface area: 27ha 25a
Years the vines were planted: 1962, 1978, 1981
The grapes are cut harvested and sorted by hand. The proportion of de-stemmed grapes and whole clusters varies depending on the vintage. The wines are pumped over twice daily in order to extract colour, tannins and aromas from the skin of the grapes. After a 15 to 19 day vatting period, the alcoholic fermentation is complete. The free-run wine is run off using a gravity system whilst the marc is pressed slowly and gently in order to extract an exceptionally pure press wine. The wines are aged for 12 months in French oak barrels (10% of which are new oak) which have been selected for their fine grain and moderate toast. The wines are left to age in our hygrometry-controlled cellars at consistent, natural temperatures.
Winter was relatively mild with average levels of rainfall. There were some frosts between 10-12th April, but the vines did not suffer too badly with only Bourgogne Chardonnay and Givry parcels affected. Bud burst occurred in mid-April, followed by flowering on the 18 May in the Côte Chalonnaise and 23rd May in the Côte d’Or. The vines developed quickly during the spring, thanks to the warmth and rain. The month of May was a record breaker in terms of heat (as high as 30°C) and was also very dry, and by the beginning of June the vines had made up for the lost time caused by the spring frosts. June storms helped the vines during the dry summer months, enabling them to withstand the intense summer heat thanks to the water reserves in the soils.
This year the harvests took place in the glorious sunshine and the fruit displayed exceptional ripeness with sugar levels in line with the average. Harvest began on 27th August in the Côte Chalonnaise with Rully ‘Les Villeranges’ and Mercurey red. Picking in the Côte de Beaune began on 29th August with Corton-Charlemagne, Corton ‘Clos des Cortons Faiveley’, Puligny 1ers Crus and Volnay ‘Frémiets’. In the Côte de Nuits the first of the grapes were picked on the 1st September and all the Grand Crus were harvested in 8 days. The harvests drew to a close on the 10th September between Gevrey-Chambertin and Marsannay. It was a high-quality harvest this year and the grapes were intensely fragrant and in perfect health.
This was the first growing season that followed fully organic principles and officially requested to start the conversion to certified organic.
Harvest in numbers: 15 days of cutting, 250 pickers, average yields : 50hL/ha (white), 40hL/ha (red), 300 parcels harvested, 2300 barrels filled (inc. 500 new barrels)
Domaine Faiveley’s “vieilles vignes” (old vines) are over thirty years old and produce an exceptionally aromatic wine that offers a true reflection of its Mercurey terroirs.
Deep ruby red in colour with notes of fresh red fruits and spice on the nose. This wine is a pleasure to drink thanks to its smooth, fruity attack and delicate, silky tannins. This well-balanced and intensely aromatic wine will win over wine experts and amateurs alike.
Rib of beef marinaded in thyme, a platter of cold cuts, soft cheeses such as reblochon.
Serve between 14º-16ºC
Côte Chalonnaise
100% Pinot Noir
Cork
13
Yes
Yes
