Bernard Faurie (5th generation) is one of the few independent producers; he has only 1.7 hectares on the prestigious Hermitage slopes. The wider public may be unfamiliar with this wine, but is a reference point for those who know the Rhône valley well. Faurie’s family originally came from Mauves (Saint-Joseph), but they founded this business over 100 years ago. The vineyards are spread over three lieu-dits: the chalk and alluvial soils of Méal, the lower-lying parcels of Greffieux, which contain more clay, and the sandier parcels of Bressards. The vineyards are in prime condition because they have long been farmed organically, even though the company has not applied for the organic label.Faurie is a charming man in his seventies, a man of few words with a quiet voice. The comparison between his own modesty and his wines is striking. He tills the land himself and harvests by hand (!), and the selection process in the cellar is stringent. There is no place here for artificial yeast cells, new wood, or stabilization techniques. The vineyards themselves are the priority; the cellar is purely functional, and lacking in any form of modern technique. Faurie aims for purity and perfection, and he therefore limits processing in the cellar to avoid too much extraction from the must. The wines need time, and in good years, they have huge ageing potential.His 100-year old Saint-Joseph vineyards (± 2 ha) were transferred to his son-in-law Emmanuel Darnaud in 2103; the dilemma facing Faurie now is what to do with these valuable Hermitage parcels now that he has reached retirement age.