Summary
Domaine Faiveley in Nuits-Saint-Georges is one of the largest and most respected estates in Burgundy. Family-owned without interruption since 1825, the house today farms around 120 to 125 hectares of its own vineyards – spread across the Côte de Nuits, the Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise. Few other producers cover the Burgundy hierarchy so completely: from regional AOC through village wines and around 22 Premiers Crus to about twelve Grands Crus. Its centrepiece is the family-owned monopole Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley. The estate is run by the seventh generation, Erwan and Eve Faiveley. In 2025 the domaine celebrates its 200th anniversary.
History
Faiveley's story begins in 1825, when Pierre Faiveley founded a wine merchant business in Nuits-Saint-Georges. What started as a négoce operation grew over generations into one of Burgundy's most important domaines. Decisive along the way was the steady expansion of its own vineyard holdings: as early as 1874 the family acquired the Corton Grand Cru that would later carry its name.
Across seven generations the estate stayed in the family without a break – a rarity in the often fragmented world of Burgundy. Since 2005 Erwan Faiveley has led the house, together with his sister Eve Faiveley. Under their direction the domaine has invested heavily in vineyard and cellar and noticeably refined its style. In 2025 Faiveley marks its 200th anniversary – as one of the very few houses to survive two centuries within the same family.
Location & Terroir
The home base lies in Nuits-Saint-Georges on the Côte de Nuits, the northern stretch of the famous Côte d'Or. From here the holdings extend along the entire axis of Burgundy: north into the great red-wine sites of Gevrey-Chambertin, south into the Côte de Beaune around the hill of Corton, and on into the Côte Chalonnaise with its centre in Mercurey.
This extraordinary spread is Faiveley's great strength. With around 120 to 125 hectares the estate ranks among Burgundy's largest vineyard owners and can draw on a huge variety of limestone and marl soils. Every site – whether a steep Grand Cru slope or a gentler village vineyard – yields its own character, which the house aims to bottle as faithfully as possible.
Style & Philosophy
Faiveley sees itself as a Négociant-Viticulteur: a domaine with extensive vineyards of its own, complemented by a smaller merchant business. The focus is firmly on terroir. The goal is to bring out the fine differences between individual sites rather than blur them under a uniform cellar signature.
In recent years the house has clearly evolved its style – towards more finesse, freshness and transparency. Its red Pinot Noir wines are now regarded as elegant and precise, its white Chardonnay from the Corton hill as mineral and long-lived. On sustainability, too, Faiveley leads the way: the Clos des Cortons monopole has been fully organic-certified since July 2025.
Notable Vineyards & Wines
The range spans the complete Burgundy hierarchy. Among the estate's best-known Grands Crus and sites are:
- Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Mazis-Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin – great red-wine sites of the Côte de Nuits
- Musigny, Clos de Vougeot, Échezeaux – classic Grands Crus for powerful, long-lived Pinot Noir
- Corton and Corton-Charlemagne – red and white from the famous Corton hill in the Côte de Beaune
- Corton Clos des Cortons Faiveley – the family-owned Grand Cru monopole
- Bâtard-Montrachet – one of the truly great white Grands Crus
- Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Saint-Georges – a flagship among the Premiers Crus
These wines regularly rank among the most sought-after of the Côte d'Or.
Awards
As one of Burgundy's largest Grand Cru owners, Faiveley has been in the spotlight of the international trade press for generations. Its wines consistently earn top scores in the leading Burgundy assessments and wine guides. Critics particularly praise the stylistic evolution since Erwan Faiveley took over in 2005 – the house is today regarded as a benchmark for the entire breadth of the Côte d'Or, from accessible village wine to its own monopole Grand Cru.