Domaine Pierre Gelin is a 13 hectares large domaine located in Fixin, Burgundy. Pierre-Emmanuel Gelin has been controlling winemaking since 2000. The vineyards are farmed according to organic principles and were certified organic AB in 2019. Domaine Pierre Gelin has two monopoles: the Clos de Meixvelle vineyard, officially Mévelle on the cadastral map, in Gevrey-Chambertin, and more famously their Clos Napoléon in Fixin.

Pierre-Emmanuel Gelin’s wines are reliably pure and supple, elegant but flavorful in style. In recent years, the wines have taken on a little more structure without losing their relatively sensual style.

The three top wines of the domaine are: Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Prieur, and Fixin Premier Cru Les Hervelets.

The Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2017 scored 92 - 94, the Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Prieur 2017 scored 91 - 93, and the Fixin Premier Cru Les Hervelets 2017 scored 89 - 91 by the Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker’s tasting notes on Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2017: “There are six-and-a-half barrels of the 2017 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru, an attractive wine that wafts from the glass with aromas of sweet berry fruit, grilled meats, warm spices, peonies and menthol. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny, its fine tannins nicely cloaked in fleshy, succulent fruit, concluding with a bright and sneakily persistent finish. This is an understated but serious Clos de Bèze that will repay some bottle age.”

Domaine Pierre Gelin was founded by Pierre Gelin in 1925, who soon started estate bottling and exporting wines to the US back in 1936. Stéphen Gelin took over the domaine from his father in 1969 and managed the winemaking along with his brother-in-law, André Molin, until the latter’s retirement in 1994. Stéphen Gelin’s son, Pierre-Emmanuel, who joined his parents in 2000, is in charge today.

They possess two monopoles: the Clos de Meixvelle vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin and, more famously, their Clos Napoléon in Fixin. Unusually, Domaine Gelin has designed a different label for each of the wines it produces.

Pierre-Emmanuel Gelin is managing the winemaking at Domaine Pierre Gelin. He farms the vineyards according to organic principles. The domaine has been certified organic AB since 2019.

Pierre-Emmanuel Gelin pays a lot of attention to cultivation methods, reasoned control and ploughing. Any fertilizers used are natural and of organic origin. Debudding and de-leafing are done by hand.

Since 2015 the proportion of whole bunches in vinification has changed - a constant 30 percent across the cellar. The bunches are destemmed with the latest Pellenc machine, which leaves the berries intact. The juice may be pumped over during the ten-day cool maceration period, with punching down thereafter.

The wines are matured for 20 months in barrels, made by Tonnellerie Rousseau. Pierre-Emmanuel Gelin uses 20 percent of new wood for the village Gevrey-Chambertin and the Fixin premiers crus, 50 percent for the Gevrey-Chambertin premiers crus and 50 percent for the grands crus. Typically the wines are kept in a cellar for two years before they are released.