No Makeup, All Silk: The Fourrier Way From Pernot’s barrels to Jean-Marie’s CO₂ shield—how Domaine Fourrier drew Gevrey in high definition

1) “Start with an address, then sharpen the pencil.”

Before “Domaine Fourrier,” there was Pernot-Fourrier—a Gevrey outfit founded by Fernand Pernot that was already shipping Burgundy abroad when that was unusual. The family torch eventually reached Jean-Marie Fourrier, who took over in 1994 at age 23 after stints with Henri Jayer and Domaine Drouhin Oregon. He brought two things home: monk-level hygiene and the courage to do less.

2) The house rules (tattoo these on the cellar door)

• Old vines or not at all. Fruit from vines under ~30 years old is routinely sold off. The domaine’s best plots were planted in the early 1900s.
• Almost always 100% destemmed. He tried whole clusters in 1995, then noped out—purity over perfume.
• Little new oak—~20% tops. “Oak is for breathing, not flavor.” Élevage is about contour, not costume.
• No racking, no fining, no filtering. Wines sit 16–20 months undisturbed. Bottled by gravity with natural CO₂ from malo left in as armor; sulfur kept minimal.

Result: Pinot sketched in fine red pencil—clear line, zero noise.

3) The map that matters

Fourrier farms just under 9–10 hectares, centered on Gevrey-Chambertin, with a few choice pieces in neighboring villages. Headliners:

• Griotte-Chambertin (Grand Cru, ~0.26 ha) — the domaine’s sole grand cru; chiffon texture, limestone lift.
• Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques — century-old vines; one of five owners. Many call it a “de facto grand cru.”
• Gevrey 1ers — Combe aux Moines, Cherbaudes, Goulots, Champeaux: four dialects of iron, cherry skin, and stone dust (old plantings 1910–1928).
• Morey-Saint-Denis “Clos Solon” (VV) — village wine that punches like a 1er when the season smiles.
• Chambolle-Musigny 1er “Les Gruenchers” (VV) — strawberry lace and chalk; the ballerina of the lineup.

(Jean-Marie also runs a tiny micro-négociant label under his own name via long-term leases—same touch, different deeds.)

4) Style—how to spot Fourrier blind

• Aromatics: red cherry, wild strawberry, rose stem, and clean ferrous notes; no jam, no vanilla fog.
• Texture: silken entry → precise core → chalk-lined finish; tannin is present but powder-fine.
• Cadence: delicious young (that CO₂ lift), but best from 7–15 years as the mid-palate fans open.

5) Milestones, poured like a flight

• 1930s–50s: Pernot era; early exports put the address on maps outside France.
• 1994: Jean-Marie takes the keys; cellar gets ruthlessly clean, oak gets quiet.
• Late 1990s–2000s: Clos Saint-Jacques and Griotte become insider catnip.
• 2010s: Prices soar as critics align with the “no-makeup” school; new-oak ceiling stays low.
• Today: Precision viticulture, minimal moves, maximal nerve; allocations vanish on arrival.

6) Bottle by bottle—Liber’s crib sheet

• Clos Saint-Jacques (1er): grand-cru posture without the badge—layered cherry, graphite, crushed rose, and a finish that tightens then lengthens.
• Griotte-Chambertin (GC): the silk scarf—pomegranate, blood orange, and limestone snap; cellar 10+ for best resonance.
• Combe aux Moines (1er): cooler, vertical, faint herbal lift—structure first, charm second.
• Cherbaudes / Goulots / Champeaux (1ers): three riffs on Gevrey muscle vs. grace—iron spice (Cherbaudes), airy red fruit (Goulots), and stonier grip (Champeaux).
• Clos Solon (Morey VV): shadow-boxer elegance; great gateway into the house touch.
• Les Gruenchers (Chambolle 1er): lace and line—decant 30 minutes to wake the aromatics without scuffing the silk.

7) How to buy and pour (without overthinking)

• Pick vineyards, not scores. Learn your palate on Clos Solon and Gevrey VV, then climb to Cherbaudes/Goulots/Champeaux, and finally Clos Saint-Jacques or Griotte.
• Mind the CO₂. If a young bottle pricks the tongue, that’s the protective gas talking—give it a brisk swirl or a short splash-decant to round the edges.
• Food map: Chambolle with roast chicken and morels; Gevrey 1ers with duck or charred lamb; Griotte for the quiet end of the night.

8) Final swirl

Domaine Fourrier didn’t get louder; it got clearer. Old vines, gentle hands, and patience turned Gevrey from oil painting into line art—nothing extra, nothing missing. If you want the feeling of Burgundy drawing breath in your glass, start here: no makeup, all silk.