Over two hundred years of history
Wine runs deep in the Faiveley family's blood. Its values have remained unchanged over the last seven generations and are based on a deep attachment to the Bourgogne region, an instinctive passion for the terroirs and an innate respect for man and his work.
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Pierre Faiveley 1792 - 1860
Pierre Faiveley was born in the village of Nuits. A cobbler by trade, he was also passionate about wine and founded 'Maison Joseph Faiveley' in 1825. He worked simultaneously on his cobbler and wine merchant businesses up until the end of the 1840's when he decided to invest all of his time and energies in the latter.
1825Pierre
The founder -
Joseph Faiveley 1825 - 1923
Initially a plasterer, painter and glazier, Joseph began his merchant business in 1860. His curious nature and pioneering spirit led him to export his wines to Northern Europe, in particular to Belgium and the Netherlands, with whom he exchanged his wines for textiles. France was under Napoleon the 3rd's Second Empire at the time, a period of economic prosperity based on liberalism and free trade. Joseph also owned the vine parcels that he had inherited from his uncle and he continued to oversee the domaine until he was almost 90 years old. A daring visionary, he built solid, timeless foundations for the future of Domaine Faiveley.
1860Joseph
The visionary Acquisition of Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Porêts-Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Lavières and the iconic Monopole Corton Clos des Cortons Grand Cru.
1873-
François Faiveley 1859 - 1918
François was qualified as a doctor at a very early age before moving to Nuits-Saint-Georges in 1889. The end of the 19th century saw the worst crisis ever known in Burgundy: Phylloxera. François was aware that the domaine was at risk of being ravaged by this insect and spent his whole life saving his vines.
1889François
The doctor Acquisition of vines situated in the exceptional Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges climat.
1893Acquisition of the iconic Clos-de-Vougeot Grand Cru parcel.
1911-
Georges Faiveley 1887 - 1968
Georges was a man of impressive strength and spirit. He began to run the domain in 1919. The economic crisis of the early 1930's hit the domaine hard: the cellars were full and the barrels were worth more than the Grand Cru wines held inside them. In 1934, he founded the 'Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin' brotherhood with his friend Camille Rodier, the rebirth of an ancient wine brotherhood from the Middle Ages. 'As our wines are no longer selling, let's invite our friends to come and drink them with us!'. This simple phrase is to thank for the revival of Burgundy. The success of the brotherhood exceeded anything they could ever have dreamed of and was founded on a veritable life philosophy of friendship, enjoyment and sharing that has continued to exist until this very day.
1919Georges
A charismatic man Georges Faiveley was granted, by a Lyon silk manufacturer, a 30 year lease in the Côte Chalonnaise for several parcels of land and woodlands as well as vine parcels (Mercurey La Framboisière, Rully Les Villeranges, Mercurey 1er Cru Clos des Myglands and Mercurey 1er Cru Le Clos du Roy). His son Guy went on to purchase the domaine in 1963.
1933The 'Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin' brotherhood was founded by Georges Faiveley - Grand Master of the Brotherhood - and Camille Rodier- Grand Chancellor. The Brotherhood celebrates the culture of Burgundy, its gastronomy, its wines and the artisan winemakers who produce them. Induction ceremonies took place at Château du Clos de Vougeot during dinner events known as 'Chapitres'.
1934Acquisition of the following renowned climats: Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru, Mazis-Chambertin Grand Cru, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru and Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers.
1935Wine and Industry
Guy Faiveley married Yvonne. They shared the same family name although they had no ancestors in common. Yvonne's family were involved in the world of Industry. Her grandfather Paul-Louis-Auguste Faiveley contributed to the construction of Paris's first underground railway line (ligne 1). Her father, Louis Faiveley, founded the Etablissements Louis Faiveley (Faiveley Transport) in 1919 and invented the 'pantographe' in 1923, a hinged device that connected the locomotive to the catenary. This patent enabled world speed records to be broken.
1945-
Guy Faiveley 1914 - 2002
Guy was born in Paris on the night of the 1st August 1914 and the war between the Entente and the Alliance was declared on the very same afternoon. He was a very curious man with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. As an HEC and Sciences Po graduate with a PHD in Law, his roots led him to join the Domaine and follow in his father's footsteps in 1947. In 1969 he became Grand Master of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin brotherhood for which he chaired around twenty Chapitres per year. During his years spent with the Brotherhood, he met numerous famous faces including the Apollo 9 flight crew in 1969. You only have to look at the joyful expressions on the faces of Guy and astronauts James Mc Divitt, David Scott and Russel Schweickart to see that a product as rooted in the earth and soils as the wines of Burgundy can indeed succeed in sending these spacemen's happiness into orbit!
1947Guy
The scholar -
François Faiveley
François was passionate about wine and it was therefore a natural decision for him to join the Domaine at the age of 25 in 1976. He followed in his forefathers' footsteps by purchasing vine parcels in the Montagny and Mercurey appellations as well as some of the most renowned climats of Nuits-Saint-Georges including 1er Cru Les Damodes. His wines are rich, concentrated and known for their exceptional ageing potential. In addition to his passion for wine, Francois also has a passion for classical music. He was the driving force behind Domaine Faiveley becoming a founding member of the famous Music and Wine Festival at Clos Vougeot in 2007.
1976François
The entrepreneur Acquisition of the 1er Cru Clos des Issarts Monopole in Gevrey-Chambertin and 1er Cru Clos de l'Ecu Monopole in Beaune.
2003-
Erwan & Eve Faiveley
Erwan has always had a passion for Burgundy and its wines. He took over from his father in 2005 and immediately invested in new facilities in order to continue the same quest for excellence as his forefathers. He strives to produce wines that reveal their potential in their youth and evolve to develop their true potential with cellar ageing. The 2007 vintage was the beginning of a new style for the domaine.
Eve, the first daughter in 7 generations, joined her brother Erwan at the family business in 2014 after several years working in the cosmetics industry in Paris. She has a passion for luxury and aesthetics and is committed to producing fine wines that reflect their terroir using a traditional savoir-faire that has been passed down through the family over the last two centuries. Together, they feel strongly about preserving this beautiful legacy for future generations.
2005Erwan & Eve
7th generation Jérôme Flous joined Domaine Faiveley in the role of Chief Winemaker. He strives for quality and excellence, from cultivating the vines through until bottling every single one of the domaine's wines.
2007Acquisition of 20 hectares of vines in Gevrey-Chambertin including a new Grand Cru, the Charmes-Chambertin, and a new Premier Cru in Gevrey-Chambertin: Les Lavaux-Saint-Jacques.
2013Eve Faiveley
After several years working in the cosmetics industry in Paris, Eve, the first daughter in 7 generations, joined her brother Erwan at the family business in 2014. She has a passion for luxury and aesthetics and is committed to producing fine wines that reflect their terroir using a traditional savoir-faire that has been passed down through the family over the last two centuries. She feels strongly about preserving this beautiful legacy for future generations.
2014