Lionel Faury

Along the steep, narrow valley that traces the northern Rhône, the appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Saint-Joseph take their place among the great wines of France, and Domaine Faury is one of the region’s most artisanal producers. When Philippe Faury took over the domaine in 1979, the family was selling wine, peaches and cherries, and the bulk of their clientele was local. Over the years, Philippe expanded their holdings to over eleven hectares, and expanded sales to an international client base. In addition, he has shared his savoir faire with his son, Lionel. In 2006, Lionel took over the reins at Domaine Faury, comfortably stepping into the role of vineyard and cellar manager to build off his father's hard work and take the domaine to new heights.

The steep hillsides of the northern Rhône present a challenging terrain where farming is only feasible through terracing. On these terraced slopes, the Faurys’ vines take full advantage of the southern and southeastern sun exposure, benefitting from optimum ripening. A combination of the predominately granitic soil, significant stem inclusion, soft crushing of the grapes with a pneumatic press, and temperature-controlled fermentation offer a liveliness and freshness that one does not often find in wines from the northern Rhône. There’s a real attention to detail here, and nothing is done in haste. Every method used encourages the grape towards greatness with the ultimate respect for its fragility. Pigeage, the punching of the cap, is not carried out with tools, but gently by foot— not just poetic, but also pragmatic. Unlike many other vignerons in the region, the Faurys have a strong aversion to new oak. While all the wines are wood-aged, new barrels are kept to a minimum, and Lionel opts for larger formats better suited to his wines, mainly demi-muids and foudres. Hailing from top-notch terroirs and subject to minimal intervention in the cellar, these wines are loaded with classic flavors and show a remarkable rustic elegance.

Technical Information

Wine	Blend	Vine Age	Soil Type	Vineyard Area*
Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “Les Hautes Ribaudes”	Syrah	Planted between 1995 and 2007	Granite	1.35 ha
Saint Joseph Rouge “Les Ribaudes”	Syrah	Planted between 1979 and 2007	Granite	6.4 ha
Saint Joseph Rouge Vieilles Vignes “Gloriette”	Syrah	Planted between 1937 and 1976	Granite	.9 ha
Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “L’Art Zélé”	Syrah	Planted 1993	Schist	.75 ha
Côte-Rôtie “Les 3 Brunes”	90% Syrah, 10% Viognier	Planted between 1993 and 2008	Schist, Clay	1.7 ha
Côte-Rôtie “Emporium”	Syrah	Planted 1994	Schist	2.5
Saint Joseph Blanc “Les Ribaudes”	80% Marsanne, 20% Roussanne	Planted between 1979 and 1998	Granite	1.5 ha
Condrieu “Le Mornieux”	Viognier	Planted between 1976 and 2007	Granite	3.3 ha
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres

VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION

Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah “Les Hautes Ribaudes”

• Grapes are 80% de-stemmed

• 10 day maceration in temperature-controlled cuves

• Daily pump-overs and punch-downs

• Malolactic fermentation in demi-muids

• Aged for 6 months in 3 to 10 year old demi-muids

• Vineyards are located on plateaus at higher altitude than Saint Joseph, just above the hamlet of La Ribaudy

Saint Joseph Rouge “Les Ribaudes”

• Vines are located around the domaine, planted on steep slopes (up to 35%) facing south, south-east

• Hand harvested and 60 to 70% of grapes are de-stemmed

• Fermentation lasts 15 to 20 days

• Pump-overs occur twice daily

• Aged for 12 months in foudres (24 – 35 hl), demi-muids (600-L), barrels (228-L); only 10% new oak is used in the rotation of barrels
• The name Les Ribaudes is a nod to the hamlet of La Ribaudy from where the grapes are sourced

Saint Joseph Rouge Vieilles Vignes “Gloriette”

• Hand harvested

• 70 to 80% of grapes are de-stemmed

• Fermentation lasts 15 to 20 days

• Pump-overs occur twice daily

• Aged for 15 months in oak demi-muids (600-L) and barrels (220-L)

• Gloriette is an old word the name for the little stone huts vignerons built for shade, rest and storing tools

Collines Rhodannienes Syrah “L’Art Zélé”

• The name, which could be translated to “zealous, enthusiastic Art” is a play on words on the name of the lieu-dit where these vines grow: “L’Arselié”

• Grapes from parcels located 150 feet from AOC Côte Rôtie vines
• Vines planted on a plateau at 850 feet above sea level

• Daily pump-overs and punch-downs

• Vinified in open, temperature-controlled cement vats

• Aged for 15 months in 5 to 15 year-old demi-muid

Côte-Rôtie “Les 3 Brunes”

• Vines planted on steep slopes (with a grade of up to 45%) facing south by south-east, from three parcels in Côte Brune (Fourvier, Le Plomb, and Arselié)

• Hand harvested

• 70 to 80% of grapes are de-stemmed

• Fermentation lasts 18 to 22 days

• Pump-overs occur twice daily

• Aged for 18 months in oak demi-muids (600-L) and barrels (220-L), of which 30% are new

Côte-Rôtie “Emporium”

• “Emporium” is sourced exclusively from the Fourvier lieu-dit

• Hand harvested

• 70 to 80% of grapes are de-stemmed

• Fermentation lasts 18 to 22 days

• Pump-overs occur twice daily

• Aged for 27 months in oak demi-muids (600-L) and barrels (220-L)