|
Clos de la Perrière
Traveling to Burgundy, one has the good fortune to visit the incredible and historic villages of the Cote d'Or: Nuits-st-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault, Pommard, Vosne-Romanee, Fixin...
Fixin?
Yes - Fixin! Until the addition of the Marsannay appellation in 1987, Fixin represented the northernmost village appellation in the Cote d'Or, and Domaine Joliet is one of Fixin's oldest domaines. Maison de la Perrière (pictured below) was constructed by the
monks of Citeaux around 1154, made entirely from stones taken from the quarry just behind the house. The domaine was purchased by the Joliet family in 1853, and Bénigne Joliet, the current owner-winemaker is now the sixth generation of Joliet to own the property.
The 1er Cru 'Clos de la Perrière' is a monopole which covers 5 hectares (4 are planted to vines and one hectare to a flower garden, a beautiful, 1er Cru flower garden). Bénigne has been working in the  vineyards since childhood and has been the winemaker since 1994. In 2004 he purchased the entire estate from his family and set about radical changes to the vineyard management and winemaking in an effort to restore the reputation of a vineyard - Clos de la Perrière that commanded a different level of respect and interest as little as a century ago. In the 19th Century, Dr. Jules Lavalle wrote the "Histoire et Statistique de la Vigne de Grands Vins de la Côte-d'Or", upon which the 1930's classification of Burgundy's vineyards were based. A copy of Lavalle's text on the estate (pictured left) is posted in the cellar, pronouncing the wine of Clos de la Perrière as a 'tete de cuvee' of Burgundy. While also noting that the wines had sold for the same price as those of Chambertin! It is this comparison to Grand Cru vineyards that inspires and drives Bénigne.
Today the vineyard management leans towards biodynamics and organics, although they are not certified at this time. Yields have been decreased dramatically compared to those of the last generation, something that originally dismayed Bénigne's father Philippe. The resulting wines, however, have quickly made Philippe a convert as well. The average age of the vines is 40 years, of which Bénigne replants at a rate of 0.2 - 0.5 ha every 5 years so that the average age stays the same.
We are thrilled to offer the 2011 Domaine Joliet Pere & Fils Fixin 1er Cru 'Clos de la Perrière'. This is beautiful red Burgundy that punches well above its price bracket.
| 
