Domaine Joliet, located in Fixin just to the north of Gevrey-Chambertin, has garnered significant praise and piqued the interest of collectors with its old-vine bottlings.
Throughout the Burgundy region’s Côte d’Or, there exist vineyard sites that have been celebrated for centuries as exceptional terroirs. The Cistercian monks, recognizing the exceptional quality of the Clos de la Perrière, held it in high esteem as one of Burgundy’s finest sites. To this day, Joliet continues to craft wines in the very same cellar constructed by those monks back in 1142. This historic vaulted cellar houses an immense vertical press, also dating back to 1142, which remained in use by Joliet’s grandfather until 1959.
Bénigne Joliet’s family acquired the Clos de la Perrière in 1853, making him the sixth generation to own this five-hectare monopole estate in Fixin. Over the years, due to French inheritance laws, the vineyard had been divided among various family members. His great-grandfather and grandfather used to sell the grapes and juice separately.
In more recent history, his father was the first to bottle wine under the domaine’s name in the 1970s. However, his father followed a consistent winemaking approach every year and did not account for variations in vintage, leading to fluctuations in quality. Bénigne worked alongside his father for a decade and in 2004, he made the decision to buy back the entire Clos from his family members, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, with the goal of restoring the Clos de la Perrière to its former glory as a revered wine once more.
Domaine Joliet wines are imported into Canada by Domaine Selections. Contact us today!