Wine Berserkers Weekly Burgundy Appellation Tasting Series Week 1: Marsannay/Fixin

WINE TALK
21

I’ve not found any interest in the Meo Fixin but have had compelling wines from Berthaut, Derey, Laurent and particularly Pierre Gelin.

22

Thank you for the suggestions. I’ll keep an eye out for them!

23

A +1 on the Gelin Fixin.

I’ve also liked Roty’s Marsannay wines in several vintages.

24

I was lucky enough to buy 2 bottles of 2003 Meo Fixin’ . my memory of this wine is great, very much enjoyed it, found it bigger and rounder than expected, but that could have been the vintage. I have had my second bottle “on deck” for some time now.
One of my best wine buys was the D. Laurent 2005 Marsannay clos du Roy. This offered some very nice early drinking (only paid $15/btl … you can guess where). Looks like I drank 3 and have 5 left.
Last note I posted in CT;

2005 Dominique Laurent Marsannay Clos du Roy Vieilles Vignes (France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay) [Add to my wishlist] 11/18/2008

I will give the benefit of believing I did not give this bottle enough time to come around, based on the hour I did follow it, and its improvement.
Very nice sappy red fruits, very little oak (from many others comments I expected more) with a little earth and a very nice evergreen finish.
The mouth feel of this wine is very nice and silky with a lot of mineral. The acids are probably what I liked most about this wine - which gave the wine a crisper aspect, and a cleaner finish. It seemed to me like it kept the fruit in line and let the soft evergreen finish come thru.
I think this is the best $15 bottle of wine I have had the pleasure of drinking.
I am looking forward to the second half.

Second night - wine is more sappy with beautifully ripe fruits, still that nice touch of evergreen on the finish, but less acids are found. I really like this wine. (1903 views)

25

ray - thanks for putting this together. it’s a great resource and a fun place to participate.

Opened a 2009 Fixin tonight…should be noted that I used to sell this wine while I worked at Weygandt Wines in DC.

  • 2009 Domaine Collotte Fixin Les Crais de Chene Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin (4/4/2012)
    Bright nose with earthy undertones. It’s medium-bodied, with nice minerality and floral tones. Think this is a great value that is drinking very well right now. Has the structure, fruit, and acidity to age elegantly for quite some time. (89 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

26

Ray, you went above and beyond with the intro. Many thanks [cheers.gif]

I’m out of town this week but I have a couple of somewhat recent notes on Marsannays from producers I usually enjoy:

  • 2008 Domaine Joseph Roty Marsannay Ouzeloy - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay (10/9/2011)
    From 375ml. Drank over 2 hours but this was showing well right from the start. Gorgeous perfume of raspberries and dried flowers, with just a touch of oak and stems. Light to medium bodied with medium+ acidity. Tart red cherries and some sweet oak spice that isn’t overwhelming. This will certainly improve for many years but it’s no crime to open one now. Delicious. (90 pts.)
  • 2006 Domaine Bruno Clair Marsannay Les Vaudenelles - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay (7/19/2011)
    Day 1: Really pretty nose. High-toned, fresh cherries and cinnamon. The palate is more rustic than the nose, with its red fruit almost entirely wrapped up in acid, bramble and tannin. Enjoyable in its rusticity but I’m sure it will be better in 5+ years. 89
    Day 2: Gassed and chilled overnight. This unwound a lot and showed a lot more cherry fruit on Day 2. Still plenty of grip but less than Day 1. Definitely decant if drinking this in the near-term. 90 (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

27

One wine I liked from Fixin was a Michel Noellat Fixin from 2005.

28

Has anyone tried a Perrières? Thoughts on the 04 vintage being around 17€, with the 05 being 70€?

Bill Nanson had a great writeup on them. http://www.burgundy-report.com/spring-2007/profile-domaine-de-la-perriere/

29

I don’t have anything on hand, but I’ll take a quick look for something to try over the weekend.

Ray, you are really generous with your “Team Leader” willingness, here. Like lots of others, I really appreciate it. Cheers!

30

Ray, thanks so much for putting this together. Having very limited experience to Burgundy myself I’m jumping at the opportunity to follow along with this tasting series and attempt to soak up as much knowledge as I can.

Having never tried a Marsannay or a Fixin before, and having neither in the cellar at the current time, off to the local wine monopoly I went. With a very small selection (2 blanc Marsannay’s and one rouge Fixin) of either of these appellations available, I settled on a bottle of 2008 Jean-Claude Boisset Marsannay blanc.

  • 2008 Jean-Claude Boisset Marsannay - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay (4/5/2012)
    Gold in the glass. Beautiful nose at first on this, opening with some blue cheese-like mustiness, then mellowing out and transitioning into a strong showing of slate. From there emerges lemon oil, sour pineapple, a hint of oak, along with some soft floral aromas. Onto the palate, this first displays hints of charred oak, cantaloupe, and a creamy texture which seemingly disappears on the mid palate and all that comes forward is mouth puckering acidity and a blast of tart fresh lemon juice. Not much complexity or depth, just lemon and acid. A little creaminess would have been welcomed here.Long finish ending with notes of crisp tart lemon juice. If only the palate lived up to the nose on this. Good.

Posted from CellarTracker

31
  • 2009 Domaine Pierre Gelin Fixin 1er Cru Clos Napoleon - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Fixin 1er Cru (4/6/2012)
    Painfully young. Unlike many 2009s the exuberant fruit hasn’t yet settled down so this is very hard to evaluate. The nose has a nice bit of iron-and-herb Fixin rusticity, and there is plenty of dry extract on the palate. Will let my remaining bottles sleep for a long while.

Posted from CellarTracker

Posted from CellarTracker

32

BTW, for those who may not be aware, we are launching into the THIRD annual Burg appellation series, and the first and second also include some very interesting discussions, debates, arguments, and tasting notes…

Links to the Marsannay/Fixin threads:

2010 appellation series.

2011 appellation series.

33

I’m away from home and haven’t yet finished for Gevrey. I will have week two up late Monday night PST or Shirtly thereafter.

There will be a lot more on the video front. Hopefully more than 100 people view them. :wink:

Thanks for the patience

Cheers

Ray

34

A recent 1967 Domaine Joilet Fixin Clos de la Perriere was definitely well into its graceful decline, but surprisingly still alive. Red fruited, sous bois, coffee notes. A little while after the bottle was opened it started to develop that caramel sweetness that old pinot can get when its on its last legs. But it was an interesting wine, especially at first, and I am thankful for the opportunity to try it. Never had a younger vintage, but I’d be curious.

35
  • 2007 Olivier Guyot Marsannay La Montagne - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Marsannay (11/19/2011)
    This was fierce on opening, bordering on downright nasty: weedy, stinky, and acidic as hell. Without a suitable sub and smelling no TCA, I double-decanted, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. A few hours later, it remained earth, mineral, and acid-driven, a very autumnal wine, with fallen leaves and turned earth prominent in its profile. An interesting wine; if it puts on some weight, it will be compelling.
36

I had Meo-Camuzet’s 2009 Fixin Saturday night at a party - and despite its lowly appellation, it seemed very much like a Meo wine to me, with its rounded fruit and deft use of oak.

37

Maureen, I tried Meo’s 2009 Fixin Clos du Chapitre (1er cru) at La Paulee, and really enjoyed it. Very pretty and fresh red-fruited wine.

38

I’m thinking about popping the 2009 Clos Napoleon. Any decant advice?

39

No, it needs a year or two to settle down, it’s very fruit-dominated at the moment (but as per almost all 2009s I’ve had the structure is there beneath).

40

Happened anyway, and I wouldn’t say that it was in any way fruit dominated. In fact not very 2009 in profile as there was no baby fat whatsoever. Nice for drinking with food now and will be better 5 years down the road.
The aromas were spicy but restrained. Palate is precise, delineated, and lively with a nice length. 91 pts on structure and potential.