Visit to Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet – Tasting the 2021s

Amélie Berthaut received me on a cold day in December; even my Vespa was freezing!

A bit about Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet

Amélie Berthaut has taken over the vineyards of Domaine Berthaut in Fixin from her father’s side, and two-thirds of her mother’s family vineyards from Domaine Gerbet in Vosne-Romanée. Additionally, she rents some vines in Gevrey-Chambertin from the Mercier family (Domaine des Chezeaux). Overall, she’s in charge of 18 hectares, a sizeable estate. While some of the Chezeaux vines are sold to Charles de Cannneyt at Hudelot-Noellat, the rest – mainly Lavaut St. Jaques – are now a part of the Berthaut-Gerbet estate.

Nicolas Faure, Amélie’s husband, works as vineyard manager at Berthaut-Gerbet, so a top team is in place to produce great wines. These are hard-working people, and their dedication is paying off in lovely and ever-improving wines.

Notes from tasting the 2021s

Amélie did beautifully in 2021. The nature of the vintage, with its fresh acidity and vivid character, works well with the house style of Berthaut–Gerbet. Extraction was light, avoiding darker, heavier wines. They instead have the lightness and vividness that makes 2021 interesting. The house style has been maintained, adding subtle elements of refinement.

It is only a question of time before the “market” starts running demand – and prices -up, so let’s enjoy Amélie Berthaut’s wines while we can.

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Hautes Côtes de Nuits 2021

The Hautes Côtes de Nuits is close to home for Amélie Berthaut, as she lived in Vosne-Romanée as a child. The vineyards are in the hills behind Vosne, and make no mistake: This rocky area moving west from Vosne into the Hautes Côtes and the village of Concoeur produces truly interesting wines. This is classic pinot, ripe even in 2021, and lightly extracted. It had a relatively short elevage, producing a lighter, delightful vin de soif.

(Drink From 2023) – Very Good (87p) – Tasted 13/12/2022 –

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Fixin Les Crais 2020

This is one of my favourite wines from Fixin, and also from Berthaut-Gerbet. Only using a small amount of stems in 2021, it’s a lighter Crais than 2020 and 2019, and more classic, but still lovely. (See more background on Les Crais.)

(Drink From 2027) – Very Good (88p) – Tasted 13/12/2022 –

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Vosne-Romanée 2021

The Vosne 2021 is elegant and light-footed; the vintage is perfect for displaying the complex Vosne spiciness. Elegant and airy, this is a lovely Vosne by any standard. For me, the light expression of the vintage is a real treat.

(Drink From 2029) – Very Good (89-90p) – Tasted 13/12/2022 –

Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Gevrey-Chambertin 2021

The Gevrey is lively and vivid, and this year includes the small part of Lavaut St. Jaques that survived the frost. It’s vibrant and vivid, and the fruit is juicy and delicate. A nice surprise from this lovely juice, both a vin de soif and d’emotion!

(Drink From 2027) – Very Good (88-90p) – Tasted 13/12/2022 –

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