Fixin 2021
Directly outside the town of Dijon, the Fixin vineyard, just north of Gevrey-Chambertin, opens the gateway to the Côte de Nuits.
Origin
With a hundred hectares under vine (including approximately twenty hectares of Premiers Crus), Fixin is one of the smallest wine-producing villages though it boasts two A0Cs: Fixin and Côte de Nuits Villages. Twenty years ago, 80% of the wines produced in the commune were sold as Côte de Nuits Villages. This is why this village is not very well known, however, its wines are worth discovering.
Production is largely of reds with 96.21 ha of Pinot Noir but there are some plots of Chardonnay which represent only 5.92 ha. Suffice to say that white Fixin is a real rarity. Our wine comes from a plot called La Sorgentière.
Viticulture
Grape variety: chardonnay
Soils: limestone and marly.
Orientation: East.
Surface area under vine: 0.3481 ha
Pruning: Guyot system
Yield: 38 hL/ha
Average age of the vine: 42 years old.
Vinification
Harvest date: 30 September 2021.
The grapes were handpicked.
At the winery: The whole bunches of grapes were gently pressed for 2½ hours. The temperature of the must was brought down to 12°C then was immediately transferred to 450L barrels (demi-muid) with no settling to preserve a maximum of lees. Very long fermentation using indigenous yeasts without stirring or racking for more complexity and freshness.
Ageing
Maturation: aged for 15 months with no racking or stirring to bring out all of this wine’s minerality. 33% new French oak barrels.
Barrels: Oak of French origin toasted at low temperatures for a long time to impart a subtle, delicate touch of oak were used.
Bottling
Bottling: The wine was not fined but was very gently filtered before being bottled using gravity in December 2022.
Number of bottles: 942.
Vintage
A complex vintage!
It is both a winegrower and winemaker’s vintage ! 2021 will unfortunately be remembered quantity-wise for a long time by its disastrous frost early april. Direct consequence: this is probably one of the smallest vintages ever in Burgundy . It offers a very nice and subtle representation of each terroir and its expression, with fruity, freshness and great finesse wines.
Ageing potential: from 4 to 7 years.
Awards
Jancis Robinson MW - 16.5/20
Sarah Marsh - The World of Fine Wine - 86 / 100
Bourgogne Aujourd'hui Magazine - 15.5/20
JamesSuckling.com - 92/100
Tasting notes
With its beautiful pale yellow color, this wine reveals aromas of white peaches, pears and a few spicy, toasty notes. The palate is concentrated, full-bodied and acidic.