Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits

Fixin does not get talked about nearly enough in Burgundy, which honestly suits Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet perfectly fine. While everyone else fights over the famous millionaire postcode vineyards further south, this family domaine quietly keeps producing some of the most exciting Pinot Noir in the Côte de Nuits.

The estate has been around for generations, but things really took off when Amélie Berthaut joined the family domaine and merged vineyards from both the Berthaut and Gerbet sides of the family. Since then, the wines have gained a huge following for combining proper Burgundy finesse with the darker more structured personality Fixin naturally brings.

There’s serious vineyard pedigree involved too. Alongside Fixin, the domaine works sites in Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée and Chambolle-Musigny, which is a fairly outrageous set of addresses when you stop and think about it. The wines lean elegant and pure rather than heavy or over-extracted, with loads of red berry fruit, spice, florals and earthy depth.

What’s especially nice is how balanced the wines feel. There’s enough structure for proper Burgundy obsessives to get excited, but also enough freshness and drinkability that you do not need a wine qualification and a velvet smoking jacket to enjoy them.

Burgundy can sometimes disappear into luxury-product madness. Berthaut-Gerbet still feels rooted in actual vineyards, actual farming and wines made by people who genuinely care about expressing where they come from.

Which, annoyingly for your bank account, tends to produce very delicious results.