The Awakening of Fixin: The New Age of Berthaut-Gerbet in Burgundy

"Fixin is my soul." — Amélie Berthaut

Burgundy is currently experiencing one of its most exciting phases. If the 20th century was dominated by established names, the 21st century is witnessing the emergence of a new wine aristocracy, where talent, authenticity, and neglected terroirs come together with rare intensity. At the epicenter of this silent revolution is Amélie Berthaut , heiress to two powerful legacies—Berthaut (Fixin) and Gerbet (Vosne-Romanée)—which she has consolidated into one of the most exciting domaines of today: Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet .

We visited the domaine in the company of Steen Öhman (Winehog) , whose in-depth analysis brought another layer of brilliance to the conversation. The tasting was technical, passionate, and at times emotional. Especially when we tasted the Fixin wines, clearly underrated for decades—but here, reborn with grace and character.

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Story: Seven Generations, Two Legacies, One Destiny

The Berthaut family's history in Fixin dates back to the late 18th century, and the family's roots in the region are as deep as the soils they cultivate. Through generations—from François Berthaut (1780-1873) to his grandfather Guy , who began bottling after the Second World War—the domaine has remained true to Fixin.

In 2013, with Amélie's arrival, Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet was born, combining the family's paternal vineyards in Fixin and Gevrey with plots inherited from her mother, Marie-Andrée Gerbet , in Vosne-Romanée. Alongside her, her husband Nicolas Faure , with experience at legendary names like DRC and Prieuré-Roch, took on viticulture with almost monastic rigor.

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The Terroirs: Fixin as an Emotional and Philosophical Center

In Burgundy, terroir is destiny. And Amélie defends hers with rare pride. Her devotion to Fixin , above all, is remarkable. A territory so often underestimated, but which, as Danguy & Aubertin (1896) wrote, produced wines on par with Clos Saint-Jacques . In the 19th and 20th centuries, Fixin lost prominence, but the new generation is beginning to correct this historical injustice—and Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet leads this movement.

📌 Some Fixin highlights:

• Fixin Village – A blend of five lieux-dits, with marl and clay soils. Classic elegance, texture, structure and freshness.

• Fixin En Combe Roy – A unique enclave that Amélie calls “mon bébé” (my baby). A terroir with an intriguing geological history and performance worthy of a Premier Cru.

• Fixin 1er Cru Les Hervelets – A high-altitude vineyard with poor, calcareous soils, worked with 100% whole bunches. One of the domaine's most vertical wines.

Vila Fixin

Amélie Berthaut's Fixin Village comes from four distinct lieux-dits, with an average vineyard age of 40 years:

• Fixey (0.87 ha) : Located east of the village of Fixey, on sandy marl and, at the top, crinoidal limestone. Deep soils (50–100 cm), clayey, but with a significant presence of silt and sand.

• Le Village (0.5 ha) : Plot adjacent to Entre Deux Velles. Like the others, the soil is deep, clayey-sandy and moderately calcareous.

• Le Pré (0.5 ha) : Located within the village, surrounded by dwellings, with soils similar to the previous ones.

• La Sorgentière and La Vionne (0.7 ha combined) : Shallower soil (20–50 cm), composed of clayey and silty-clayey sand, with a substrate of white oolite and salmon-colored conglomerate.

Wine Style

Despite the predominance of clay, the wine's elegance results from the influence of silt and sand. The winemaking process respects this delicacy: minimal inclusion of stems, gentle extraction, and brief aging in used barrels (1 year), followed by 2 months in foudre. The result: a luminous, fruity, and refined Fixin Village — one of the great bargains of the Côte de Nuits.

Fixin "En Combe Roy"

The technical and emotional detail of En Combe Roy , for example, deserves a separate study: located below Les Arvelets, with deep soils and complex drainage, it was classified as a "Deuxième Cuvée" in documents from 1871 and 1920, signaling its nobility.

Formerly part of Fixin Village, this lieu-dit is now vinified separately by Amélie, who affectionately calls it mon bébé (my baby). It is located between 300 and 310 meters above sea level, on a gentle southeast-facing slope, separated from the premier crus Les Arvelets and Hervelets by a geological fault marked by a 2–3 meter depression. Interestingly, it is an enclave within the Entre Deux Velles climate.

Soils and Geology

• Deep soil (>1 m), lighter, with a sandy texture and good surface drainage thanks to sand, silt and gravel.

• High water retention capacity in the lower layers.

• Medium-sized rocks are abundant, but larger pebbles are less frequent (~10%).

• Weak calcium content, predominantly granular in texture.

• The subsoil is presumably composed of sandy marls rich in gravel, similar to those of Entre Deux Velles and the base of Les Arvelets.

Wine Style

Full-bodied, rich in fruit with complex aromas of red berries, exotic spices, and savory notes. Its signature is its texture: integrated and silky tannins from the start. The wine's elegance is not due to its structure, but to the depth and harmony of its elements. The sandy soil and gravel contribute to the smoothness and nobility on the palate—one of the winery's most striking textural expressions.

Historical Classification

Documents from 1920 and Camille Rodier identify En Combe Roy as Deuxième Cru (second class), while other parts of Entre Deux Velles were classified as third class. The uniqueness of the terroir—its elevated position on a dome, versus surrounding depressions—reinforces this distinction.

Les Hervelets vs. Les Arvelets

Originally one climat, it was divided after 1860. Both share the same geology and exposure. Amélie owns young vines in both and has recently begun bottling the terroirs separately.

This is the northernmost premier cru of the Côte d'Or, covering only 3.36 hectares, between 310–340 m altitude. Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet has 0.96 hectares, in the center of the slope, on a subsoil of crinoidal limestone and sandy marls. The vines are planted across the slope and are approximately 40 years old.

Soils and Geology

• Upper third : shallow soils (<40 cm), colluvial, highly calcareous with fossiliferous marls.

• Middle/lower part : deeper soils (>50 cm), clayey and weakly calcareous, rich in visible stones and marine fossils.

• Substrate with four types of Jurassic limestone: sandy marls (base), crinoidal limestone (center), Premeaux pink limestone (fault), and Ostrea acuminata (top).

Wine Style

Amélie explores this terroir with increasing precision with each vintage. In 2014, the wine resembled Clos Saint-Jacques for its minerality and red fruit notes. In 2016, it shows depth and strength closer to a Clos de Bèze—darker fruit, more powerful structure. The similarity lies in its "inner will": a wine that carries seriousness, depth, and firmness.

Les Hervelets tends to express a more taut structure , with greater freshness, thanks to the choice of 100% stem aging and the high proportion of active limestone in the soil. The complete absence of new oak preserves the purity of the fruit and the mineral precision , ideal for those who appreciate a more raw and direct style, with lively but well-integrated tannins. It is a wine of energy and definition, with greater nerve. While Les Arvelets is broad, structured, with volume and finesse.

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Gevrey, Vosne, Petits Monts — Classic Burgundy with a New Eye

Outside of Fixin, the domaine works with vineyards in legendary areas such as:

• Gevrey-Chambertin Les Crais & Burie : alluvial soils that provide structure and depth.
  
  

• Vosne-Romanée Aux Réas & Rivière : old vineyards (some dating back to 1935) that reveal the most sensual and spicy side of Pinot Noir.
  

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Petits Monts

Elegance at its finest: Vosne's delicate soul above Richebourg

Located high on the slopes of Vosne-Romanée, Les Petits Monts is a premier cru that lives in the shadow—both geographically and metaphorically—of the iconic Richebourg , its neighbor to the south. But this elevated position, far from being an obstacle, is precisely what gives the climat its unmistakable identity: earthy, spicy, fragrant—but without the weight or opulence of the grand crus .

At just 3.6 hectares , this is one of the highest and steepest vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, reaching an altitude of 330 meters , planted on an east- facing slope, on shallow , iron-rich, stony clay soils, resting on a hard limestone substrate. The vines here struggle—the soil drains well, yields are naturally low, and the result is concentrated grapes, full of tension and nuance.

Distinguished location and neighborhood

Climat is sandwiched between legendary names:

• To the north , it borders the mythical Cros Parantoux , immortalized by Henri Jayer.

• To the south , it runs parallel to Aux Reignots , above tiny La Romanée .

• Just below lies the imposing Richebourg .

• Further up , you reach the forest that crowns the Côte d'Or.

This privileged location — on the border between viticulture and wilderness — offers morning sun exposure and a slightly cooler microclimate, ideal for slow and balanced ripening.

Reference producers

Despite its modest size, Les Petits Monts is produced by big names:

• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (exclusive production for French restaurants),

• Comte Liger-Belair ,

• Amélie Berthaut

• Domaine Felletig

Each winemaker brings their own interpretation of the terroir, but the common trait remains: finesse, aromatic purity, and a mineral backbone that distinguishes this premier cru from its peers.

Profile and Style of this incredible premier cru in the hands of Amélie

The 2023 vintage showcases everything that makes this terroir unique: textural lightness, freshness, and a captivating spicy fragrance . Compared to the more muscular wines from parcels like Suchots or Richebourg , Petits Monts reveals a more ethereal, vertical, and floral finesse —a kind of elegant silence that resonates deeply.

"The Petit Monts is one of my favorite wines from this estate… unhappy and refined… fruity and hedonistic."
—Steen Öhman, Winehog

"Even more ethereal than the Suchots... pure and elegant."
—William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

"More energy for the fruit on the palate... red- and blackcurrant... very long finish with fine hillside freshness."
—Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
★★★★☆ – 93–95 points

The cross-stratification of the vines , inherited from previous generations, allows for different exposures and ripening, something that Amélie Berthaut takes advantage of with a precise and infusive hand. In hot years like 2023, altitude and poor soil balance the heat and preserve the natural tension — the harvest proves to be one of the best expressions of this climate in the last decade.

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Philosophy: “Des vins de garde qui se boivent”

The expression may seem paradoxical, but it accurately describes Amélie's aesthetic: wines with depth and aging potential, yet accessible and enjoyable from an early age. In the 2023 vintage, according to the Robert Parker Wine Advocate, this balance reaches its ideal point: "supple and charming wines that will drink well pretty much on release."

The winemaking process respects the integrity of the terroir: indigenous yeasts, fermentation in concrete, sparing use of stems, minimal extraction, and aging in barrels with low use of new wood (0 to 30%).

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Harvest 2023: A Harvest to Begin

We are excited to have the 2023 harvest available, even if in very limited quantities.

• Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits

• Fixin

• Fixin “En Combe Roy”

• Fixin 1er Cru “Les Hervelets”

• Gevrey-Chambertin

• Vosne-Romanée

• Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru “Les Petits Monts”

The 2023 vintage perfectly expresses the domaine's new philosophy: wines that enchant with their elegance, aromatic purity, and refined structure, with aging potential, yet already seductive in the present.

Impressions of Tests – Collection 2023

(Tasting held at the domaine with Amélie Berthaut and Steen Öhman – Winehog)

In an intimate setting, amidst barrels and stories, the 2023 wines presented themselves with purity and vibrant energy. Aromatic precision, firm lightness, and tactile balance marked each sample—proof that Amélie's style is in full bloom. Below are our impressions, very positive, of course, and some noteworthy comments made by Steen:

• Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2023
  Very fragrant, light and precise. A high-altitude Pinot Noir, with floral notes and a subtle structure, that surprises with its delicacy and definition.

“Live and enjoyable with the 2023 freshness maintained.” – Steen, Winehog

• Fixin 2023
  Aromatic, spicy and fresh. A light beauty with sculpted tannins. A version of Fixin that focuses on finesse without sacrificing its identity.

“Lovely balance with drinkability as the main objective it seems.” – Steen, Winehog

• Fixin "En Combe Roy" 2023
  The most earthy, profound and enchanting expression of Fixin: delicate yet succulent, from 60-year-old vines. Long and luminous, with a breathtaking finish.

“Rich and intense… almost on the edge of old age. 60-year-old vines… deep fruitiness…” – Steen, Winehog

• Fixin 1er Cru "Les Hervelets" 2023
  Vertical, airy, with pure red fruit and vibrant clarity. Steen's preferred choice this vintage among Fixin's Premier Crus.

“The soil is lighter… the fruit is airier and reddish-toned. I clearly prefer Hervelets in 2023.” – Steen, Winehog

• Gevrey-Chambertin 2023
  Exuberant freshness, perfect maturation. A texture of calcareous talc powder, with a silky profile and rare subtlety. A vibrant Gevrey—and of remarkable quality.

• Vosne-Romanée 2023
  More richness in the mid-palate and a pronounced chalky presence. Fruit ranging from red to dark, with a long and delicate finish. Classic and sensitive.

“A classic Vosne… delicate and unfolding with some red and dark fruits… Vosne spices and lovely fruit.” – Steen, Winehog

• Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru "Les Petits Monts" 2023
  A wine of increasing energy, intense yet ethereal, spicy without being excessive. It only lacks a touch of "meat" to reach the level of a Richebourg, but it compensates with elegance and freshness. One of the best from the domaine and one of my favorite Burgundies for many years!

“The Petit Monts is one of my favorite wines from this estate… unhappy and refined… fruity and hedonistic.” – Steen, Winehog

More featured comments – 2023 at Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet

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A Grand Domaine in Training

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet is more than the sum of two legacies. It is a promise fulfilled. It is a tribute to the past and a beacon for the future. Fixin, Gevrey, Vosne: all find a new interpretation here, more just, more feminine in the best sense—in the sense of elegance, subtlety, and inner strength.

As it is engraved on the stone of the old Berthaut house:
"Bien faire vaut mieux que dire."
And Amélie, with humility, precision, and vision, is doing very well.