Domaine Fourrier

Domaine Fourrier's modern history begins in the 1930s when Fernand Pernot, a lifelong bachelor, began acquiring vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin. Fernand's nephew, Jean-Claude Fourrier, joined the estate and took full control in 1969, renaming it Pernot-Fourrier. Following Pernot's death in 1982 the domaine became Domaine Jean-Claude Fourrier, and it was rechristened simply Domaine Fourrier in 1992 when Jean-Claude's children, Jean-Marie and Isabelle, joined him. In 1994, Jean-Marie officially took over from his father at just 23 years old, bringing the estate to international prominence.

• Previously known as Pernot-Fourrier; the Fourrier family has cultivated vines in Gevrey-Chambertin across five generations
• Jean-Marie is joined today by his sister Isabelle, his English wife Vicki, and his son Louis, who represents the fifth generation at the estate
• One of the first Burgundy domaines to export wine to the United States, a distinction that predates Jean-Marie's tenure
• The 10 hectares of estate vineyards have been entirely vinified at the domaine since 2007, when a new cuverie was completed

Jean-Marie Fourrier took over a domaine that had drifted into obscurity during the 1980s and, without chasing high scores or fashionable techniques, rebuilt it into one of the most sought-after addresses in Burgundy. His philosophy, summarized as 'the philosophy of doing nothing,' is a deliberate rejection of over-extraction and heavy oak, placing all emphasis on vineyard work and minimal cellar intervention. The wines are celebrated for their transparency, finesse, and the clarity with which they express individual sites, from village-level Gevrey to the tiny Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru. Jean-Marie also launched a micro-négoce label under his own name in 2011, extending his approach to parcels leased outside the family estate.

• Trained by Henri Jayer, the legendary vigneron of Vosne-Romanée, and also by Véronique Drouhin at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon
• Countered the 1990s trend toward heavy extraction and high oak usage by championing restraint, purity, and old-vine intensity
• Every parcel, from village to Grand Cru, is vinified separately to capture individual site expression
• The domaine has garnered sustained critical acclaim since Jean-Marie's first full vintage in 1995

Domaine Fourrier farms 10 hectares across four communes: Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, and Vougeot. In Gevrey, the key Premier Cru holdings include Clos Saint-Jacques, Combe aux Moines, Champeaux, Goulots, and Cherbaudes, almost all located in the northwest of the appellation under the cooling influence of the Combe de Lavaux. The sole Grand Cru is a 0.26-hectare parcel in Griotte-Chambertin, planted in 1928. Outside Gevrey, the domaine holds the Premier Cru Les Gruenchers in Chambolle-Musigny and Clos Solon in Morey-Saint-Denis. Most vines were planted between the two World Wars and are preserved through massale selection only.

• Clos Saint-Jacques: 0.89 hectares, vines planted in 1910, lying at the mouth of the Combe de Lavaux with southeast exposure on chalky, clay-dense marl soils
• Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru: 0.26 hectares planted in 1928; Griotte-Chambertin is the smallest Grand Cru in Gevrey at approximately 2.73 hectares total, divided among roughly seven owners
• Gevrey-Chambertin village cuvée draws from an average of 15 old-vine parcels with an average vine age of around 80 years, blending sites across the commune
• Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Solon: a 0.55-hectare parcel planted in 1961, stretching from Les Porroux near Chambolle to the lower reaches of Cheseaux

Jean-Marie abandoned herbicides in the mid-1990s and relies exclusively on massale selection for vine replacement, rejecting commercial clones. Yields are managed through severe winter pruning and de-budding rather than green harvesting. No chemical fertilizers are used, and treatments against fungus or insects are applied only when absolutely necessary. In the cellar, fruit is almost entirely destemmed after passing over a vibrating sorting table. A cold soak of 4 to 5 days precedes spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts. Extraction is carried out only through pigeage (punching down), two to four times daily, with no pumpovers. The wines are aged in a maximum of 20% new oak, with no racking, and are bottled without fining or filtration, relying on dissolved CO2 rather than added sulfur dioxide for protection.

• No herbicides since the mid-1990s; sélection massale is the only method used to replace missing or failing vines
• Yields controlled by severe winter pruning and de-budding; Jean-Marie does not practice green harvesting as a rule
• 20% new oak maximum across all cuvées, from village to Grand Cru; 'oak is for slow breathing of the wine, not for taste'
• Wines bottled without fining or filtering, 12 months after harvest, with CO2 retained in wine as natural protection in lieu of added sulfur dioxide

The domaine produces 15 wines from 70 parcels. The most celebrated are the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Saint-Jacques, with vines dating to 1910, and the Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru, from a 0.26-hectare plot planted in 1928 that is widely considered one of the finest expressions of this tiny appellation made today. Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Gruenchers and Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Combe aux Moines are also highly regarded. The Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vignes, drawn from approximately 15 old-vine parcels averaging around 80 years of age, represents exceptional value among the domaine's offerings. Jean-Marie's micro-négoce label has extended the portfolio to include grands crus in Gevrey as well as Echezeaux and Bonnes Mares.

• Clos Saint-Jacques: often called a 'hidden Grand Cru,' the 0.89-hectare parcel is among Burgundy's most celebrated Premier Cru sites
• Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru: Fourrier's only Grand Cru in the domaine portfolio; the vines were planted in 1928 and are among the oldest of the vineyard's handful of owners
• A special Clos Saint-Jacques 'Cuvée Centenaire' has been produced in exceptional vintages from the oldest vines on the parcel
• The micro-négoce label, Jean-Marie Fourrier, launched in 2011, includes wines from leased parcels such as Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts and Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses

Domaine Fourrier's wines are known for their transparency, finesse, and aromatic complexity, making them highly sought after by collectors and Burgundy enthusiasts worldwide. The style is defined by bright red fruit, mineral precision, fine-grained tannins, and a silky mouthfeel born of careful extraction from very old vines. The wines develop beautifully with age, adding leather, sous-bois, dried cherry, and earthy complexity while maintaining the freshness that is Jean-Marie's signature. Village-level wines are accessible within several years of release; Premier and Grand Cru bottlings reward a decade or more of cellaring. Prices remain, by Burgundy Grand Cru standards, relatively accessible, as Jean-Marie has long stated a desire for a wide audience to enjoy his wines.

• Village cuvées can be enjoyed from 5 to 8 years; Premier Crus reward 10 or more years of cellaring; the Griotte-Chambertin is built for 10 to 20 years minimum
• All wines bottled unfined and unfiltered; decanting is recommended for bottles under 5 years old
• Secondary market demand is strong given tiny production across all cuvées, especially Griotte-Chambertin and Clos Saint-Jacques
• Jean-Marie has long priced his wines with accessibility in mind, hoping a wide range of people can enjoy a good bottle