Winemaker Notes
Although full and generous at the same time, Fixin Fondemens will surprise by its steady crimson color. Its fruity nose reminds one of red fruit coulis, and in the mouth, it will amaze by its frankness. It has a good acid content and is endowed with a solidity and substance which places it among wines that are best laid down for a certain time. When young it possesses animal aromas suggestive of pelts and musk. This is an ample wine that develops its bouquet as it matures over time.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A dense, brooding red, exhibiting black cherry, blackberry, plum, iron and earth aromas and flavors. There is a beam of acidity, keeping this well-defined, with a solid spine of tannins. Spicy finish. Best from 2024.
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.