domaine Fourrier
Gevrey Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, France
Jean-Marie Fourrier
Photo courtesy of Emilia Schiobeiri
We are proud to represent the wines of Domaine Jean-Marie Fourrier, a true benchmark in Gevrey-Chambertin. When Jean-Marie returned to his family estate in 1994 at just 23 years old, he brought with him formative experiences that would shape the domaine’s future — from making the legendary 1989 vintage with Henri Jayer, to a season in Oregon at Domaine Drouhin. He inherited a domaine with great raw material — old parcels in Gevrey, Chambolle, Morey, and Vougeot, many planted between the 1930s and 1950s — and quickly set about transforming it into one of Burgundy’s most sought-after addresses.
Jean-Marie’s philosophy has always been simple but uncompromising: let the old vines and storied terroirs speak for themselves. Herbicides were abandoned in the mid-90s, fermentations rely on native yeasts, and new oak has never exceeded 20%. Every parcel is vinified separately, punching down by hand and avoiding pumpovers, with an unwavering eye toward purity and drinkability. The result is wines that are both serious and seductive — transparent expressions of Pinot Noir with an immediacy that makes them a joy to drink.
Three decades later, Jean-Marie continues to push forward, now joined by his sister Isabelle, his wife Vicki, and most recently his son Louis, who represents the fifth generation at the estate. With 10 hectares entirely vinified at the domaine and 70 individual parcels making up 15 wines, Fourrier remains a reference point for Burgundy lovers around the world.
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Domaine Fourrier is one of the Côte de Nuits’ most respected domaines, with history dating back to the 1930s when Fernand Pernot began acquiring vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin. The domaine became known as Pernot-Fourrier after Fernand’s nephew, Jean-Claude Fourrier, took over in the late 1960s and expanded holdings into Chambolle, Morey, and Vougeot - which remain the backbone of the estate today.
In 1994, Jean-Marie Fourrier, took over from his father, Jean-Claud at the age of 23, after formative experiences working with Henri Jayer (he made the legendary 1989 vintage with Jayer alongside Emmanuel Rouget), followed by an internship at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon. Since then, he has transformed the domaine into a benchmark address for expressive, terroir-transparent Burgundy. -
Gevrey-Chambertin sits at the heart of the Côte de Nuits and illustrates the classic geology of the Côte d’Or. The village is defined by faulted Jurassic limestones, beds of marl, and marked shifts in elevation created by the Combe Lavaux. These variations produce highly differentiated sites within just a few meters of one another.
The northern sector — including Premier Crus such as Combe aux Moines, Goulots, and Champeaux — is particularly prized. Here, crinoidal limestone and sandy marl dominate, with pockets of fossil-rich ostrea acuminata marl also found in grands crus like Clos de Bèze and Bonnes Mares. The cool air descending from the combe adds a climatic influence, helping to preserve freshness and structure.
Together, these geological and climatic factors give Gevrey-Chambertin its signature power, depth, and mineral precision.
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Since the mid-1990s, Jean-Marie Fourrier has farmed without herbicides and with a focus on old vines, many planted between the two World Wars and preserved through massale selection. He prunes aggressively in winter to control yields naturally, sorts fruit rigorously in the vineyard, and excludes any vines under 30 years of age from his main cuvées, bottling them instead under his micro-négoce label. Today, his 10 hectares in Gevrey, Chambolle, Morey, and Vougeot are farmed with the same precision as his long-term leased parcels, all with the goal of expressing the full character of each site.
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Jean-Marie Fourrier’s winemaking is both precise and personal, shaped by the influence of Henri Jayer but refined through his own instincts. Fruit is almost always fully destemmed, with stems occasionally added back in recent vintages to preserve finesse and balance. After a 4–5 day cold soak, fermentation begins with native yeasts, and extraction is carried out only through pigeage (2–4 times daily). As Jean-Marie explains, “I love punching the cap because I feel connected with each tank when I do it — you can feel the heat, the thickness, the strength.” Following a gentle press, the wines settle for 24 hours before being transferred by gravity to barrel, where they age for 12 months on fine lees with no more than 20% new oak. With minimal sulfur and careful handling at every step, the wines remain fresh, supple, and transparent reflections of their terroirs.
Wines
Bourgogne Blanc
100% Chardonnay sourced from 3 parcels, totaling about 1 hectare within Chambolle-Musigny. Vines planted in 1995. Fermented and aged in used barrel.
Gevrey-Chambertin Vieille Vignes
Sourced from an average of 15 parcels of old vines, many planted between the 1920s and 1950s, Fourrier’s Vieille Vignes captures a complete snapshot of Gevrey-Chambertin. With vine ages averaging 80 years, this cuvée blends sites across the village — from the rocky, limestone-driven Les Champerrier to the clay-rich Jouise and the supple Seuvrées near the Morey border — yielding a wine that unites Gevrey’s diverse soils and exposures in one bottle. Vinified with minimal intervention, partial whole-cluster depending on the vintage, and aged in mostly used oak, it delivers the intensity and depth of old vines while preserving purity, freshness, and the transparency of site.
Morey-St-Denis Clos Solon Vieille Vignes
Fourrier farms a 0.55-hectare parcel of Clos Solon, planted in 1961, stretching from Les Porroux near Chambolle to the lower reaches of Cheseaux on the Gevrey side. This mid-slope site produces a wine that bridges the elegance of Chambolle with the structure of Gevrey, offering supple red fruit, fine tannins, and vibrant energy. Aged in 15% new oak, it is a nuanced and approachable expression of Morey’s character.
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Cherbaudes
Fourrier farms a 0.67-hectare parcel of Cherbaudes, planted in 1940 and situated between Chapelle-Chambertin and Clos Prieur. The vineyard’s brown soils over grey limestone, with traces of volcanic influence, produce a wine of distinctive elegance and fine texture, enhanced by the high vine density of the site. Aged in 15% new oak.
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combe aux Moines
Fourrier farms 0.87 hectares in Combe aux Moines, planted in 1928 and nestled just beside Goulots in a more sheltered corner of northern Gevrey. The parcel lies beneath striking cliffs of crinoidal limestone, where vine roots burrow deep through fractured rock layered with ancient tidal deposits and fossil-rich marl. This dramatic terroir yields wines of vibrant minerality and firm structure, tempered by the concentration of nearly century-old vines. Aged in 15% new oak.
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St Jacques
From a 0.89-hectare parcel planted in 1910, Fourrier’s Clos St Jacques lies at the mouth of the Combe de Lavaux with a prized southeast exposure. The soils are intensely chalky, combining limestone with clay-dense marl, and the old vines bring both depth and refinement. Long regarded as one of Burgundy’s greatest sites, Clos St Jacques is often considered a “hidden Grand Cru” — legend has it that it was nearly elevated after World War I but missed the designation due to politics of the era. Aged in 20% new oak.
Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru
From a tiny 0.26-hectare holding planted in 1928, Fourrier’s Griotte-Chambertin represents one of Burgundy’s rarest grands crus, with only 2 hectares in total. The vineyard lies east of the Route des Grands Crus on chalky soils whose name traces back to the Old French “craie,” evolving into “criotte” and eventually “griotte.” Known for combining delicacy with intensity, this site yields wines of refined texture, lifted aromatics, and mineral drive. Aged with restraint in barrel, Fourrier’s bottling captures both the history and rarity of this fabled terroir.