2012 Joliet Père & Fils Fixin Clos de la Perriere 1er Cru

The 2012 Fixin 1er Cru Clos de la Perriere, a monopole belonging to the domaine who approach the terroir in similar fashion to say, Clos de Tart by approaching the vineyard by parcel and individual terroir, includes 20% whole cluster fruit. It has a tightly wound bouquet with tertiary brambly red berry fruit with touches of mint and sous-bois. The palate is medium-bodied with quite rustic tannins, but there is a swagger about this Fixin, with good depth and gentle grip on the masculine finish. Fine. It was back in 1853 when the Joliet family acquired “Manoir de la Perriere” located just north of Gevrey-Chambertin, which came with a parcel of vines that had been established by the Citeaux monks. Six generations on that the estate is presently run by Benigne Joliet, who I met in London. He effused about his wine, convinced that his solitary holding is worthy of grand cru quality and he has Dr. Lavalle to back him up (sadly, not in person). Lavalle designated Clos de la Perriere as “Tete de Cuvee” in his seminal 1855 book on Burgundy and Benign is propositioning the authorities to designate it as a grand cru. I have to have a look at the vineyard myself before offering my own opinion. Both 2012s where very good, although I would like to taste more vintages to see whether it really is shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Chambertin or indeed, superior to Clos Saint Jacques. The monopole has a small parcel of white vines, but we begin with the main show. Importer: no US importer but available through Berry Brothers & Rudd in the UK.