95-Points by Burghound.
Deep ruby red hue. The nose and palate are in perfect harmony and reveal aromas of black fruits, oak and spice. The attack is powerful and underpinned by direct, velvety tannins. This wine offers good structure and aromatic persistency.
 
Les Rugiens is a Premier Cru vineyard within the Pommard appellation in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. It is one of Pommard's most highly prized vineyards and, with the Epenots sites, is considered by many to be worthy of Grand Cru status. The wines, made from Pinot Noir, can be full bodied and brooding in character with smoky, spicy aromas. They usually age for many years.
Founded in 1825, Bourgognes Faiveley has been handed down from father to son for over 175 years. As the sixth generation to take the reins, François Faiveley manages, with equal amounts passion and competence, the largest family domaine in Burgundy. Methodically reconstructing vineyards fractured by French inheritance laws, Bourgognes Faiveley today owns more appellations in their entirety (monopoles) than any other domaine in Burgundy.
"Faiveley’s wines are... supremely clean and elegant: definitive examples of Pinot Noir... above all they have richness and breed, the thumbprint of a master winemaker."
-Clive Coates M.W.
Domaine Faiveley is one of the largest and most illustrious domaines in Burgundy, and has made its name with red wines made from the Pinot Noir grape.
It was founded in 1825 in the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges under Joseph Faiveley, a wine merchant who had a desire for travel. In the beginning of the 19th Century, trade had begun between Burgundy and northern Europe, predominantly along the rivers and canals connecting the regions.
Merchants from Burgundy would travel along these paths to exchange their wines for textiles. Joseph Faiveley was one of these merchants, introducing his Burgundian wine to the wider world.
Today, the house is run by seventh-generation Eve and Erwan Faiveley (wine-searcher.com interviewed Eve Faiveley in 2021), and the company has expanded its footprint in the Côte de Beaune, and has vineyards throughout the Côte de Nuits, as well as in the Côte Chalonnaise (Domaine de la Framboisière) and Chablis.
Domaine Faiveley is best known for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, but small amounts of Aligoté are also planted in the Côte Chalonnaise. Currently, Faiveley has 10 hectares (25 acres) of grand cru vineyards out of a total of 115 hectares (285 acres).
Faiveley owns parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin, Bâtard-Montrachet, Volnay and Pommard to name a few, however these are very fragmented with no single site being more than one hectare (2.5 acres) The company is also a "négoce", buying grapes from other growers in the region.
Traditional winemaking with a modern twist is key in the production of wines from Domaine Faiveley. Modern barrel presses as well as custom wooden vats are combined with long aging in deep 19th-Century cellars to produce deep and rich red wines that need age to show their best.
In the mid-1990s, Faiveley was at the center of a libel case launched against renowned international wine critic Robert Parker, the result of which saw Parker drop back from reviewing Burgundy wines for his Wine Advocate publication. The case was settled out of court.