Fournier Marsannay "Les Longeroies" 2022

90-92 BH

Notes:

Reduction blocks all but subtle floral nuances from piercing the funk. By contrast, there is a lovely underlying tension to the well-detailed and stony flavors that possess slightly better volume on the firm, dusty and bitter pit fruit-inflected finish that offers just a bit more depth and persistence. Note that at least some patience will be necessary. Burghound 90-92 Outstanding!

Producer: Domaine Jean Fournier is a longstanding Marsannay estate whose family presence in the village dates back to the 17th century. Jean Fournier established himself as a vigneron in 1962, and the property is now led by his son Laurent Fournier. Under Laurent, the domaine has become especially associated with detailed, vineyard-specific expressions of Marsannay, working a broad collection of lieux-dits rather than relying solely on appellation-wide blends. Farming has been organic since 2005 and certified since 2008, with vineyard practices including plowing, spontaneous summer cover crops, manual leaf removal, and organic composts rather than chemical fertilizers. The estate also works at notably high planting densities in certain parcels. In the cellar, Laurent uses indigenous yeasts, whole clusters when appropriate, moderate extraction and long élevage. Les Longeroies has particular importance within the domaine: it represents more than a quarter of Fournier’s vineyards and is described by the estate as the historical heart of the property.
Vineyard: Les Longeroies is one of Marsannay’s most important lieux-dits and Fournier has an unusually large holding of approximately 5 hectares planted to Pinot Noir, with additional Chardonnay in the climat. Rather than coming from a single uniform parcel, the red is assembled from multiple sections of Longeroies with differences in soil, vine age and position, allowing Laurent Fournier to present a broader expression of the site. Detailed vineyard information describes east to southeast exposures and clay-limestone soils incorporating white oolitic limestone, Prémeaux limestone, salmon-colored marl, and gravel deposited by the former course of the Ouche. The domaine’s holdings contain vines of several generations, including mature and old-vine parcels. Marsannay sits at the northern entrance to the Côte de Nuits, and Longeroies is known for producing Pinot Noir with both substantial structure and mineral definition. 2022’s warm, dry growing season produced healthy, fully ripe fruit, and Fournier’s Longeroies shows the concentration of the year without losing freshness. Critics consistently found it among the more structured wines of the domaine’s 2022 Marsannay range.
Winemaking: The 2022 is 100% Pinot Noir, harvested manually into small 15-kilogram cases before sorting at the winery. Approximately 50% whole clusters were retained for fermentation. Alcoholic fermentation begins spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, while pigeage and remontage are used moderately to manage extraction. The wine then spends 12 months in a mixture of 228-liter Burgundy barrels and larger 600-liter barrels, with approximately 25% new oak. After this initial élevage, the lots are assembled and transferred to demi-muids for another six months, bringing total maturation to approximately 18 months. The combination of larger vessels, limited new wood and an additional period in demi-muid gives the naturally substantial Longeroies fruit time to integrate while avoiding excessive oak influence. The 2022 is listed between 13% and 13.5% ABV, depending on the market bottling/source.
Technical Details: Marsannay AOC; Les Longeroies lieu-dit; 2022 vintage; 100% Pinot Noir; approximately 5 hectares of Pinot Noir holdings within Longeroies; east/east-southeast exposures; varied clay-limestone geology including oolitic and Prémeaux limestone, marl and gravel; certified organic; hand harvested in 15kg cases; winery sorting; approximately 50% whole cluster; indigenous yeast fermentation; moderate pigeage and remontage; 12 months in 228L and 600L French oak barrels; approximately 25% new oak; an additional six months in demi-muids; approximately 18 months total élevage; 750ml bottle.
Food Pairing: Duck breast, roast duck, coq au vin, pork tenderloin, grilled pork chops, veal chops, rack of lamb, beef bourguignon, venison, œufs en meurette, mushroom tart, porcini mushrooms, Époisses, and aged Comté. The wine has more concentration and tannic structure than lighter expressions of Marsannay, making roasted meats, game and traditional Burgundian dishes strong partners, while its freshness keeps richer preparations in balance. Œufs en meurette prepared with Marsannay is an especially regional pairing.