Bernard Faurie

History of Domaine Bernard Faurie

The story of Domaine Bernard Faurie is above all a story of transmission and deep attachment to the land. Bernard Faurie represents the fifth generation of a family lineage of winegrowers rooted on the mythical hill of Hermitage. His ancestors planted some of the vines that Bernard tended throughout his life — century-old Syrah plants on Les Greffieux that stand as living witnesses to several generations of expertise.

For many years, Bernard Faurie combined his work as a factory worker with running the family vineyard, before devoting himself entirely to viticulture by taking over the reins of the estate alongside his father. It was this passing of the torch that truly ignited in him a passion for winemaking, driving him to refine every gesture, to listen to each parcel, and to understand each vintage in its finest nuances.

Discreet to the point of being almost secretive, Bernard Faurie never sought the spotlight. The estate has no website, no press attaché, no official cellar guide. And yet, his wines are found on the finest tables, in the cellars of the most discerning connoisseurs, and reach prices at auction that attest to their exceptional prestige. In 2020, Bernard Faurie retired, gradually handing over to his son-in-law Emmanuel Darnaud, himself a recognised winemaker in Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. A page turns, but the legend only continues to be written.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine Bernard Faurie

Domaine Bernard Faurie draws on 1.7 hectares of vines planted on the hill of Hermitage, one of the most prestigious and smallest vineyards in France, with a total appellation area of only around 136 hectares. These parcels extend across three emblematic lieux-dits, each of which makes a unique contribution to the final blend.

Les Bessards form the granite bedrock of the estate. These granite-rich soils endow the grapes with powerful mineral structure, firm tannins and that famous tension which allows Hermitage wines to age across decades. Bernard Faurie himself maintained that a true Hermitage cannot be conceived without a component from Les Bessards. This lieu-dit, among the most reputed in the appellation, is the structural foundation of all his red cuvées.

Le Méal offers a radically different profile: its rounded pebbles over a clay-limestone subsoil bring roundness, generosity and that solar warmth which gives the wine a fleshy, southern character. The vines planted on Le Méal are now nearly 60 years old, a maturity that is reflected in the depth of the harvested grapes and in the aromatic richness of the wines produced from this terroir.

Les Greffieux complete this triptych with their deeper, silty soils, close to the town of Tain-l'Hermitage. It is on this parcel that the oldest vines of the estate are found, some exceeding 100 years of age. Planted by Bernard Faurie's ancestors, they produce small quantities of concentrated grapes of striking finesse and aromatic complexity.

The estate's viticulture rests on principles of common sense and deep respect for nature. No chemical herbicides are used: the rows are maintained by regular ploughing, sometimes carried out by horse, which preserves soil life and limits compaction. Natural grass cover is encouraged. Treatments are limited to the strict minimum, based on sulphur, copper and plant decoctions. While Bernard Faurie never sought official organic certification, his viticultural practices are fully in keeping with this philosophy. Yields are deliberately very low, and the harvest, entirely manual, is subject to meticulous selection in the parcel.

Winemaking at Domaine Bernard Faurie

Bernard Faurie's cellar, nestled beneath a modest house in Tournon-sur-Rhône, has all the hallmarks of a craftsman's workshop: a few barrels, simple tools, a limited space where each vintage is treated with the same silent exigence. It is in this almost austere setting that some of the most powerful and most refined red wines of the Rhône Valley are born.

Winemaking begins at harvest, with grapes picked by hand and sorted with great selectivity. The red wines are made using whole clusters; the un-destemmed bunches are conveyed directly to the vat without prior crushing, which preserves freshness, floral aromas and the silky tannic structure characteristic of the estate's cuvées. Fermentation is triggered naturally using only the indigenous yeasts present on the grapes, without the addition of any external inputs.

Ageing is carried out in old demi-muids and aged oak barrels, with no addition of new wood. The aim is not to impart a woody imprint on the wine but to allow it to refine, to integrate, and to gain in complexity without losing its terroir identity. The length of this ageing varies between 18 and 24 months depending on the character of the vintage, sometimes longer for years of great concentration. The wines are neither fined nor filtered, which guarantees their integrity and maximum expression at the time of bottling.

For the white wines, vinification is carried out in demi-muids of which only 10% are new, with an ageing period of 9 to 12 months. Here again, the absolute priority is to allow the fruit and terroir to express themselves, without artifice.

The Cuvées of Domaine Bernard Faurie

Domaine Bernard Faurie produces several cuvées whose distinguishing feature is that they are identified not by their name on the label, but by the colour of their capsule — an insider's code that further reinforces the confidential and singular character of the estate.

Hermitage Rouge – White Capsule (Greffieux / Bessards)

This cuvée blends fruit from Les Greffieux and Les Bessards. It represents the structural heart of the estate's range: the aromatic finesse of the old vines from Les Greffieux meets the granitic minerality and backbone of Les Bessards. On the nose, it reveals aromas of ripe dark fruits, violet, pepper and smoky notes with that typical graphite touch of Hermitage's granitic soils. The palate is dense and velvety, carried by remarkable freshness and elegant tannins. A wine for long ageing par excellence, it can be cellared for many decades and reveals itself fully after 8 to 15 years. 

Hermitage Rouge – Gold Capsule (Bessards / Méal)

The gold capsule signals the significant presence of Méal in the blend, alongside Bessards. This marriage lends the wine an additional dimension: to the mineral structure of Bessards is added the fleshy, sun-drenched generosity of Méal. The result is a wine of remarkable suavity and finesse that sometimes evokes the greatest wines of Burgundy, with aromas of cherry, soft spices, dark fruits and a palate of sublime length. Some enthusiasts consider it the most complex and most voluminous cuvée of the estate. Decanting is imperative for young vintages; open 4 to 5 hours in advance for optimal enjoyment. 

Hermitage Rouge – Gold Capsule with "M" (Méal)

Bottled occasionally when the vintage allows, this single-parcel cuvée sourced 100% from Le Méal is the most sun-drenched and most generous expression of the estate. Rich, full-bodied, with exceptional fruit density, it embodies the southern power of this exceptional lieu-dit. 

Hermitage Rouge – Red Capsule (Bessards)

A single-parcel cuvée sourced exclusively from Les Bessards, this wine is the most mineral, the most taut and the most structured in the range. The granite speaks here with full authority: firm tannins, striking mineral tension, notes of pencil shavings, smoke and compact dark fruits. It demands a great deal of patience but rewards the wait with a depth and complexity rarely achieved in the Rhône Valley.

Hermitage Rouge – Blend of the three lieux-dits (Greffieux / Bessards / Méal)

A cuvée blending the three emblematic terroirs of the estate, it eloquently expresses Bernard Faurie's vision that a great Hermitage is built on the complementarity of the lieux-dits. The finesse of Greffieux, the structure of Bessards, the generosity of Méal. It reconciles power and elegance in a rare balance.

Hermitage Blanc (Les Greffieux; old-vine Marsanne)

Produced in very limited quantities, this white cuvée is made from old-vine Marsanne planted on Les Greffieux. Vinified in demi-muids with very limited use of new wood, it develops over the years an aromatic palette of remarkable richness: toasted almond, honey, white flowers, candied citrus. The palate is fleshy and full, with a fresh and mineral finish that is the hallmark of the terroir. Allow at least 5 to 10 years of ageing to reveal its full complexity.

Saint-Joseph Rouge

On the steep slopes of the Saint-Joseph appellation, almost directly opposite the Hermitage vines on the other bank of the Rhône, Bernard Faurie cultivated a few parcels worked to the same exacting standards. These wines, less well known but no less interesting, offer a more approachable Syrah in its youth, more immediate in its fruity expression, while retaining the purity and mineral tension that characterise all of the estate's cuvées.