Tasted in Gevrey with François Orisé, 31 August 2021.
Domaine Fourrier
7 Route de Dijon
21220 Gevrey-Chambertin
Tel: +33 3 80 34 33 99
More reports with Domaine Fourrier
François on 2021:
“21 was hot in February – 25 degrees and so vine growth came early, so when frost and snow came – and the snow took a lot of time to melt… So we can say that 50-80% of the vines had some measure of damage. Some areas look completely fine, in others the vines are healthy but there’s no fruit. June has been wet and cool so the flowering was later than other recent vintages which means we’ll also be harvesting quite late – certainly well into September.”
François on 2020:
“The 2020 vintage is similar to 2019 except for the hot and very dry summer. We had lots of small millerande berries – hence, not a lot of juice. But we have concentration and sweetness. Of course, this was an early starting harvest – for us the 1st September.”
The wines…
As you have come to expect over the years – some really top class wines here – the ability to keep the concentration of the fruit without losing focus, purity, or the comforting texture is the hallmark of this domaine. You won’t be disappointed by these 2020s…
2020 Bourgogne Blanc
From Chambolle, 100% chardonnay, no new oak, from 40-year-old vines.
Concentrated aromas with good energy in the top notes. Supple, beautifully textured, mouth-filling. Vibrant, based in minerality in the finish. Very good.
2020 Bourgogne Rouge
A blend of grapes from Fixin to Nuits, they buy some grapes so this label is Jean-Marie Fourrier
A full nose, faintly reductive. Mouth-filling, the flavour framed with tannin, accented with some dryness but there’s no grain to be seen. A slightly saline finish here – a concentrated Bourgogne which I’d keep a little longer than some of the higher wines…
3 main parcels contribute to this, the largest cuvée of the domaine, accounting for one-third of the domaine’s production
Ooh dark, attractive fruit. Silky, direct, driving, layered, almost a little graphite minerality. This holds a great finish too – textbook, delicious Gevrey – bravo!
2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Gruenchers
This is a very fine aromatic but of very modest volume. Broad, silky a little mineral, saline, a little tannin showing at the end of the flavours. Very elegant but a little compact showing today.
Planted in 1940 – just under the white house of Damoy in Beze.
A little more freshness and aromatic clarity to the fruit. Hmm, thats energetically brilliant, still with a little tannin frame to the flavours. Thats a great glass.
Deep, almost truffly, textured, impressive wine. Saline, forward, fine acidity, so silky, mineral finishing. Few words needed for this great wine…
A nose that starts airy and open, but then becomes mineral then more floral again – I really like that I don’t know what comes next. Extra-wide, incisive, mineral, tangy, that’s really super impressive over the palate. Such a great wine in 2020.
2020 Griotte-Chambertin
A little smoky coffee, wide and airy – not directly fruity but directly attractive aromatics. Mouth-filling, an ultra-fine grain but not a hint of dryness. A width, almost a haunting impression to that finish – less demonstrative than the CSJ today but no less absorbing. Simply excellent…
A couple of contract wines – so Jean-Marie Fourrier for the label:
2020 Latricières-Chambertin
This nose starts quietly but then explodes with beautifully pure fruit. Direct, beautiful texture that slowly grows a little grain of tannin. But this is broad, complex and satisfying in the middle.
2020 Chambertin
Of course, like the previous, full coloured. A more sullen yet obviously concentrated nose. Full, finely complex and impressively already delicious – that’s simply excellent wine.
And something for the road?
2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes
Not the same aromatic impact as the 2020 but there’s still a fine floral note here. Supple, silky, very mineral, intense. Showing a modest structure. Easier to drink than the 20 today but very excellent!