Domaine Fourrier
Vieille Vigne Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 1er Cru
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru
2022
Vintage
Varietal
Pinot Noir
ABV
Where it is, June 2026
At Peak: in the heart of its drinking window (2025-2044).
In 2026, the 2022 Domaine Fourrier Vieille Vigne Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 1er Cru is in its second year of peak drinking, entering what promises to be an 18-year window of full maturity that extends through 2044. The wine is in an early peak position where freshness and primary fruit still dominate alongside emerging secondary complexity. Old-vine concentration from parcels planted in the 1950s means this wine will continue building in texture year by year rather than plateau quickly. Collectors who choose to open a bottle now will encounter a wine of extraordinary freshness and mineral precision, with the deep red fruit and thrilling minerality that define Fourrier's Clos St. Jacques fully accessible. The wine has rounded and integrated beautifully since its drinking window opened in 2023, and the 2022 Burgundy growing conditions - a dry summer balanced by pivotal June rains - have given this wine a structural framework that critics rate among the finest red Burgundies of the decade. Patience through 2028 or 2030 will bring additional tertiary development and further textural softening, but this wine is already singing in 2026.
The ‘22 Vieille Vigne Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 1er Cru.
Possibly the most perfectly balanced Clos St. Jacques Fourrier has ever produced, the 2022 is entering its second year of a 19-year peak window extending to 2044.
Drinking window
Tasting note
The 2022 Domaine Fourrier Vieille Vigne Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 1er Cru pours a translucent ruby-crimson, bright and clear with a violet-tinged rim that speaks to the vintage's freshness. On the nose, the wine is initially reserved and slightly closed, but with patience a gorgeous aromatic profile assembles itself: wild strawberry and dark cherry at the center, surrounded by forest floor, damp stone, dried lavender, and a precise thread of iron-rich minerality that anchors the nose with authority. The Clos St. Jacques terroir, one of Gevrey-Chambertin's most celebrated premier cru sites, speaks loudly and clearly here. On the palate, the entry is silky and precise, with a freshness that the 2022 vintage delivered in abundance. Tannins are fine-grained and impeccably woven into the wine's structure, never imposing themselves but always present as a guarantor of longevity. The mid-palate shows deep red and black fruit layered over mineral complexity, while the finish stretches long with bright acidity and an iron-mineral signature that is unmistakably from this vineyard. The balance here is extraordinary - Fourrier is said to regard this as possibly the most perfectly balanced Clos St. Jacques the domaine has ever produced.
The 2022 vintage
The 2022 vintage in Burgundy delivered wines of considerable succulence and depth thanks to a pivotal rescue by June rainfall. An abundant rainy period at the end of June helped the vines build reserves before confronting a hot, dry summer that ran through harvest. Wine Spectator awarded the vintage 96 points and characterized the reds as vibrant, complex, balanced, and full of fruit - one of the top scores in recent memory. Growers who managed canopy carefully during the summer heat produced wines with the freshness and energy that define the finest Burgundy. In Gevrey-Chambertin, the combination of the appellation's iron-rich limestone soils and the June water reserve yielded a harvest of concentrated fruit with bright acidity that preserved the site's characteristic minerality. The 2022 stands favorably alongside the celebrated 2019 in terms of overall quality, though where 2019 leaned toward power and richness, 2022 emphasizes elegance, freshness, and aromatic vitality.
About Domaine Fourrier
Domaine Fourrier in Gevrey-Chambertin is the work of Jean-Marie Fourrier, who took over from his father in 1994 and transformed the estate into one of Burgundy's most admired addresses over the following decades. Fourrier's approach is fundamentally traditional: early harvesting to preserve freshness and acidity, whole-cluster fermentation to add complexity and structure, and limited new oak to maintain site purity over winemaker imprint. The Clos St. Jacques is the crown jewel of the domaine, farmed on steep hillside slopes of iron-rich limestone with a southeast exposure that maximizes morning sun while preserving cooling afternoon shade. Vieille Vigne parcels, planted in the 1950s, contribute an additional layer of concentration and textural density that distinguishes Fourrier's Clos from neighbors farming the same slope. The result is a wine of extraordinary precision and length that rewards cellaring with increasing complexity over two decades.
From the cellar: pair with
Roasted pheasant with mushroom cream sauce
The wine's iron-mineral character and forest floor aromatics merge seamlessly with game bird and earthy mushroom; its fine-grained tannins and bright acidity cut through the cream without diminishing the pairing.
Rack of lamb with herbed crust
Fourrier's old-vine concentration and dark fruit depth match the richness of lamb while the wine's freshness and precise acidity lift the pairing and prevent heaviness.
Aged Epoisses or Comte
The wine's complex minerality and silky tannin structure find a natural counterpart in the salt and umami of aged Burgundian cheeses; the finish's length matches the cheese's persistence seamlessly.
Service & cellaring
- Serving Temp
- 58-62F (14-17C)
- Decanting
- 2026 (peak yr 2): decant 30-45 minutes in a narrow-mouthed decanter; over-aeration risks dulling the vibrant acidity that is one of this vintage's signature qualities.
- Cellar Storage
- 55F (13C), 60-70% humidity, bottle on its side.
The drinking window on this bottle is calculated with the Cellared Ageability Index (CAI) v1.0, a 10-factor model. Try the free drinking window calculator on any wine, or read when to drink wine for the practical signals.
More from Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France
Frequently Asked
When is the best time to drink the 2022 Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques?
The 2022 is now in its second year of peak drinking in 2026, having entered its window in 2025. The peak runs through 2044, giving collectors an 18-year window of full maturity. Bottles opened now will show extraordinary freshness and primary fruit alongside emerging complexity. For those who prefer tertiary development and further textural silk, patience through 2028 or 2030 will be richly rewarded.
How long should I decant this wine?
In 2026, the 2022 Fourrier Clos St. Jacques benefits from 30 to 45 minutes of decanting to open the initially reserved nose. The wine does not need aggressive aeration - its freshness and mineral precision are best preserved with gentle exposure to air. Over-decanting risks dulling the vibrant acidity that is one of the vintage's defining qualities. Pour into a narrow-mouthed decanter and taste at 30 minutes to judge further development.
What foods pair best with Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques?
This wine pairs best with preparations that honor its mineral complexity and fine-grained tannin structure without overwhelming it. Roasted game birds, rack of lamb with herbed crust, and earthy mushroom preparations are classic matches. Aged Burgundian cheeses such as Epoisses or Comte work beautifully. Avoid heavy sauces or aggressively spiced preparations that would compete with the wine's terroir-driven precision. Explore more pairings and regional context at our [Burgundy wine guide](/wines/region/burgundy).
How does the 2022 vintage compare to other Burgundy years, and how should I cellar it?
The 2022 Burgundy vintage earned 96 points from Wine Spectator, rating it alongside the finest years of the decade. It stands favorably beside 2019 in overall quality, though 2022 emphasizes elegance and freshness where 2019 leaned toward concentration and power. Store horizontally at 55F (13C) with 60 to 70 percent humidity, away from vibration and light. Browse our full [Pinot Noir collection](/wines/varietal/pinot-noir) to explore Burgundy and other regions side by side.