2011 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Combe Aux Moines Vieille Vigne

Domaine Fourrier is a 22.5-acre estate in the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation of Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. In the mid-20th century this domaine was called Pernot-Fourrier, and it is now run by Jean-Marie Fourrier, who took over from his father Jean-Claude in 1995. Jean-Marie worked for Henri Jayer and Domaine Drouhin in Oregon before returning to the family estate. Since his return the domaine’s wines have earned high praise from wine writers, including Clive Coates, who has written of Jean-Marie: “This young man is a thinker…There are brilliant wines here.” Jean-Claude is considered a rising star in Burgundy and Coates has more recently written that “The Fourrier estate is one of the very best in Burgundy.” The domain has a parcel of Grand Cru Griotte-Chambertin, and Premier Cru parcels in Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Morey-Saint-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.