Winemaker Notes
Fixin wines are delicate in color and have an excellent structure in which tannins usually play a dominant role,
making these wines robust rather than subtle. They have a good acid content and are endowed with a solidity and substance, which places them among wines that are best laid down for a certain time. When young they possess animal aromas suggestive of pelts and musk. These are ample wines which develop their bouquet over time as they mature
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
From an appellation in the Côte de Nuits, just above Gevrey-Chambertin, the 2016 Fixin was completely destemmed and brought up mostly in used barrels, with just 5-10% being new. Its translucent ruby color is followed by an intriguing bouquet that includes more tart black fruits, sappy flowers, toasted spice, wood smoke, and obvious earthy minerality. Silky, medium-bodied, and beautifully balanced on the palate, with its acidity nicely tucked in behind ample sweet fruit, it has light yet firm tannins and a great finish. It’s a beautiful wine that’s terrific today yet I suspect will keep for 15 years or so.
-
Wine Spectator
Cherry, raspberry and spicy oak aromas and flavors are the highlights of this supple red. Offers ample tannins for support, along with lively acidity. Ends with a cascade of smoky, spicy fruit. Best from 2021 through 2033. 40 cases imported.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Inhabiting the northern reaches of the Côte de Nuits of Burgundy, the Pinot Noir vineyards of Fixin abut Gevrey-Chambertin and produce wines of similar character. The appellation is full of well-reputed Premier Crus that offer some very fine Pinot Noir, even if not quite delivering the exact precision and elegance—nor price tag—of a Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Cru. These are Les Arvelets and Les Hervelets, Clos de la Perrière, Clos Napoléon and Clos du Chapître. A classic Pinot Noir from Fixin will be rich in dark fruit, underbrush and exhibit good structure and minerality.