Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet is the family estate in Fixin, at the northern end of the Côte de Nuits, run since 2013 by Amélie Berthaut. Her red Burgundy is Pinot Noir with clear fruit, fine tannins and a firm mineral line, from the Fixin village wine and the old-vine Fixin Les Clos to Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée.
Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet: seven generations of winemaking in Fixin
The Berthaut family has been documented in Fixin since the 18th century, and Amélie is the seventh known generation. Her grandfather Guy Berthaut took over in 1930 and began bottling the family's own wine after the Second World War. From 1974 his sons Denis and Vincent ran the estate as Domaine Denis Berthaut, known for structured wines that needed years in bottle.
Her mother's side brought a second estate into the family. Marie-Andrée Gerbet and her sister ran Domaine François Gerbet in Vosne-Romanée, the estate founded by their father. When Amélie took over, she combined all of the Berthaut vineyards with part of the Gerbet holdings under one name: Berthaut-Gerbet.
Amélie, born in 1988, trained in Dijon and Bordeaux, earned her oenology diploma in 2011 and worked harvests in Bandol, Napa Valley and New Zealand before coming home for the 2012 vintage. She took charge of the winemaking in 2013, at 25.
Vineyards in Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée
The estate covers about 16 hectares. Fixin is its heart, with further vines in Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée and the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Fixin lies just north of Gevrey, close to Dijon, and is almost entirely a red wine village. Its best-known premiers crus include Clos de la Perrière, Clos Napoléon, Les Hervelets and Les Arvelets. Long in the shadow of its famous neighbour, Fixin gives darker, firmer Pinot Noir that rewards patience.
Winemaking at Berthaut-Gerbet: native yeast, cement tanks and restraint
The vineyards are farmed with organic methods and without herbicides, with treatments only when mildew pressure demands it. In the cellar, fermentation starts with native yeast in cement tanks. The share of whole clusters varies by cuvée, and some wines are fully destemmed. Extraction is gentle: pump-overs during fermentation and only a few punch-downs at the end.
The cold cellar allows slow ageing in barrels and larger foudres, mostly used oak with a modest share of new barrels, and the wines are never fined.
The Berthaut-Gerbet wines: from Hautes-Côtes de Nuits to Vosne-Romanée
Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits and Fixin
The Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits comes from the Concoeur parcel in the hills above the Côte, planted by Amélie's grandfather. The Fixin village wine is a blend of several parcels around the village and the clearest introduction to the house style.
Fixin Les Clos
Les Clos is a single vineyard of about 1.3 hectares with vines more than 60 years old, the oldest planted in 1930. It is denser and deeper than the village wine and benefits from a few years in the cellar.
Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée
The Gevrey-Chambertin shows the broader frame and dark fruit of its village. The Vosne-Romanée, from old vines in the Réas and La Rivière parcels and fully destemmed, is the silkiest and most perfumed wine in the range.
For more from the same slopes, explore our Burgundy wines, the Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée collections, or the full range of Pinot Noir.
FAQ about Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet
Who makes the wines at Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet?
Amélie Berthaut, the seventh generation of the Berthaut family in Fixin. She has made the wines since 2013 and joined her father's vineyards with part of her mother's family estate in Vosne-Romanée.
Where is Fixin in Burgundy?
Fixin is in the northern Côte de Nuits, just north of Gevrey-Chambertin and close to Dijon. The appellation is almost entirely red, made from Pinot Noir.
Is Berthaut-Gerbet organic?
The vineyards are farmed with organic methods and no herbicides.
Should I drink or cellar Berthaut-Gerbet wines?
The Hautes-Côtes de Nuits and the Fixin village wine are open and enjoyable young. Fixin Les Clos, Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée have more structure and gain from some years in bottle.