Fixin: Frédéric Magnien 2019
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Situated between Marsannay and Gevrey-Chambertin on the Côte de Nuits, Fixin is one of the few appellations on the Côte d'Or with 'Village' and 'Premier Cru' classifications only. With fruit from the 'lieu-dits' of 'Les Crais de Chêne', 'Les Treuilles' and 'Aux Brûlées' (on the northern edge of the appellation) and 'En Créchelin' at the southern end, this Pinot Noir from Fréderic Magnien has a nose of forest fruits and 'sous-bois', with mineral notes adding to the extravagant fruit on the finish. Decant when young.
Pronounced 'Fissin', the communes of Fixey and Fixin which make up the AOP, make almost all red wines, which can be sold either as Fixin or Côte de Nuits Villages. Somewhat unfashionable in the past, with a reputation for wines that were somewhat closed or austere in their youth, Fixin is enjoying a renaissance as warmer temperatures bring more richness of fruit to the fore. Despite having no 'Grand Crus', its 'Premier Crus' represent good value in the hothouse of increasing Burgundy prices.
A wine-growing area since Roman times, it has been favoured by the Dukes of Burgundy who had their summer residence there. With vineyards enjoying excellent sun exposure to the east and limestone soils with some marl, it produces rich, elegant wines that improve with bottle age, yet are accessible when young.
As a vintage, 2019 was, in Fréderic Magnien's words (quoted by Allen Meadows, Burghound.com), "relatively easy to manage even if there were moments of concern during a period of frost risk and an intensely dry summer." Fresher in style than the 2019s, the 2020s have a richly-fruited core with fine-grained tannins and already showing some development in bottle.
Earthy, aromatic and sleekly dark-fruited, this is a more savoury, food-friendly Pinot Noir that would suit venison, beetroot or umami-rich slow-braised mutton.
| Style | Red Wine, Sec, Medium-bodied, Non Sparkling |
|---|---|
| Wine Region | Burgundy, Côte de Nuits |
| Grape Variety (Cépage) | Pinot Noir |
| Food & Wine Matching | Chicken and Turkey, Lamb, Mushrooms, Pheasant and Game |
| Viticulture | Non-Organic |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Cellarage | Drink around 5 to 7+ years after vintage. Decant for 1-2+ hours ahead. |
| Vinification | Vinified traditionally before ageing in large, older oak casks and amphorae/terracotta 'jarres' to ensure the maturation vessel has little influence on flavour in the finished wines. |
| Alcohol By Volume (%) | 13 |
Frédéric Magnien
Frédéric Magnien is based in his family domaine in Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte de Nuits and has been developing his reputation as one of the sharpest and most meticulous winemakers in the Côte d'Or. Frédéric sources grapes from a selection of superb vineyards in Morey', Chambolle' and Gevrey' with a strong commitment to biodynamics and a 'hands-off' approach to vinification. From 2015 onwards, he has aged a number of his wines in terracotta 'jarres' in order to emphasise terroir and purity, used only indigenous yeast for fermentation and cut down his use of oak.
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