Before national lockdowns and travel restrictions tightened, our Head of Fine Wine Lukasz Kolodziejczyk managed to spend a few weeks in Burgundy last year and is one of a small group of professionals to have firsthand and on field experience of the vintage. Over the coming weeks we will be releasing producer spotlights and highlights from Lukasz’s trip to the Cote d’Or. This is the 10th profile of our Burgundy spotlight series featuring Domaine Fourrier.
Domaine Fourrier - Burgundy 2019 En Primeur Producer Profile
Since taking over from his father in 1994, Jean-Marie Fourrier has become known for his passion for every detail of the winemaking process from vine to bottle. This passion manifests itself in a range of beautiful wines coming from Domaine Fourrier as well as Jean-Marie’s negociant label - Jean-Marie Fourrier.
Domaine Fourrier has been in the family for five generations and benefits from exceptional holdings in the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny and Vougeot. The vineyards are composed of vines of an average age between 50 and 70 years old, with several parcels exceeding 85 years of age. Jean-Marie took over from his father in 1994 and embarked on a rejuvenation programme including new equipment, renovated cellars and lowering yields. Today, Fourrier excels at bringing out the pure terroir in each wine thanks to meticulous vineyard work and a low intervention approach to winemaking.
In 2011, Jean-Marie established an eponymous negociant label in order to expand his horizons and learn about new terroirs. He has explained that he only buys grapes from vineyards where the domaine does not own any vines and has increased his grand cru offerings to include Chambertin, Clos de Bèze and Latricières-Chambertin.
Although the vineyards may be different, the wines from the domaine and negociant label share a sense of poise and finesse that stems from Jean-Marie’s dedication to magnifying the unique qualities of each terroir. Fourrier’s philosophy is to enhance a sense of place and pleasure with each wine he produces.
Speaking about the 2019 vintage in Burgundy, Cult Wines’ Head of Fine Wine Lukasz Kolodziejczyk pointed to the excellent precision and balance in many wines. Jean-Marie’s efforts have enhanced these qualities and many of the leading critics are noticing the results.
2019 Domaine Fourrier Grand Cru Griotte-Chambertin 97 points (Charles Curtis, Decanter)
“A superb wine, from a parcel planted in 1928 that was purchased by the domaine in 1955. At 0.28ha, it doesn't yield much: a normal year is five barrels, this year three. The lovely, expressive black cherry fruit shows nuanced mineral and floral notes, while the texture is silky and subtle. It is less powerful than the Clos-St-Jacques, yet still has the density and structure to make it worthy of long ageing.”
2019 Domaine Fourrier 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 97 points (Charles Curtis, Decanter)
“Fourrier's 0.89ha of Clos St. Jacques next to the Rousseau parcel was planted in 1910 and yields miniscule quantities of very small berries. The bunches are destemmed and very slowly macerate - with mostly whole grapes - before a fermentation with gentle punching down by hand. The wines are aged two winters in cask (20% new). The result shows an exquisite definition, a lovely, supple red fruit character, plenty of tannin and freshness, plus an impressive depth of flavour.”
2019 Jean-Marie Fourrier Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru 92-94 points (William Kelley, Wine Advocate)
“The 2019 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru is attractive, exhibiting scents of dark berries, orange rind, warm spices, cassis and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, succulent and precise, with a pretty core of fruit and a saline finish, this, too, is shaping up nicely.”
2019 Jean-Marie Fourrier Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 91-93 points (William Kelley, Wine Advocate)
“The 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru opens in the glass with notes of raspberries, plums and dark chocolate, complemented by hints of loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, open and expansive, it's lively and charming. It's a front-loaded, giving Charmes that will drink well young.”
Performance potential
In our Burgundy En Primeur report, we classified Domaine Fourrier as a Tier 1 producer, meaning it sits just below a handful of ‘iconic’ producers in terms of name recognition while still making standout wines. A comparison between the prices for a Clos Saint Jacques premier cru from Domaine Fourrier and those of iconic name Domaine Armand Rousseau shows a noticeable gap. We think this demonstrates that Fourrier wines are an excellent relative value opportunity with potential for healthy price performance.
Price gap shows Fourrier’s upside potential
Price per case (12x75cl) – Fourrier vs Domaine Armand Rousseau
