Domaine Pierre Gelin Fixin 2015

Domaine Pierre Gelin is the leading wine producer in the small village of Fixin (pronounced “Fees-an”).  The family domaine was founded in 1925 by Pierre Gelin and is today in the hands of Pierre’s grandson, Pierre-Emmanuel. Pierre-Emmanuel farms organically and works to minimize the impact on the environment in both vineyard and cellar.

The family owns 32 acres in total including parcels in five Fixin premier crus and the monopole of Clos Napoléon. In 1961 Pierre also purchased vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin including the monopole Clos de Meixvelle, Clos Prieur 1er cru, and the Grand Cru Clos de Bèze.

Fixin is a quiet village sitting at the northern end of the Côte de Nuits, just a short half hour drive from the center of Dijon. This Fixin rouge comes from vines planted between 1968 and 1984. Grapes are completely de-stemmed and only indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation. The wine was matured for 20 to 24 months in used Burgundian pièce. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

Tasting Notes

Wines from Fixin are typified by their robust, tannic, and sometimes “sauvage” character. Soils towards the bottom of the hill tend to be a deeper and heavier mixture of limestone mixed with clay where wines tend to be beefy and a bit rougher. The premier crus sit further up the hill on homogenous brown limestone and often display more minerality and finesse.

Food Pairing

Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and low tannins make it very food friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami.