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Domaine et Maison Joliet
Domaine & Maison Joliet: Fixin Premier Cru Clos de la Perrière, a Cistercian monopole since 1142...
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Domaine & Maison Joliet - Fixin Premier Cru Clos de la Perrière, Burgundy
In the vaulted cellars of the Manoir de la Perrière, in Fixin at the heart of the Côte de Nuits, time has stood still since 1142. The Cistercian monks of Cîteaux recognised this hillside as one of Burgundy's finest terroirs. Bénigne Joliet, sixth generation of a family that has owned this land since 1853, carries that heritage forward with a precision that makes the Clos de la Perrière one of the most singular monopoles in the Côte de Nuits.
Nine centuries of Cistercian viticulture, one family, one single clos and today, a négociant house born from the same exacting standards.
History and origins of the estate
The Clos de la Perrière takes its name from the stone quarry that once occupied this hillside before the vines, perrière, in Old French, means precisely that. In 1142, the Cistercian monks of the Abbey of Cîteaux established their estate here, building the vaulted cellars and manor house from stone quarried on site, and planting the first vines on this Fixin terroir they considered exceptional. That same cave, hewn from the rock in the 12th century, is still where Bénigne Joliet makes his wines today.
In 1853, the Joliet family acquired the Clos de la Perrière and established a five-hectare monopole, surrounded by its original stone walls, an integrity preserved against all inheritance pressures and economic forces across six generations. In 1850, this terroir was classified as a Tête de Cuvée, on a par with what are now the Grand Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin. Bénigne Joliet, who has run the estate alone since 2004, works to restore that reputation and is actively pursuing a reclassification to Grand Cru status.
In 2022, his daughter Camille Joliet returned from Canada to join the estate. Her arrival relaunched Maison Joliet, a négociant structure Bénigne had created in 2013 but kept dormant, the domaine, from vine to sale, had been run by him alone, leaving no time to spare. Together, father and daughter now build a selection of Burgundy wines chosen with the same rigour applied to the wines of the Clos.
A monopole preserved intact since 1853 - an absolute rarity in Burgundy
In Burgundy, vineyards fragment with every generation under inheritance law. The Clos de la Perrière, five hectares within the same Cistercian wall, has never been divided. Six generations of the Joliet family have resisted that fragmentation. What you purchase is this wholeness and the responsibility it carries.
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The terroir of the Clos de la Perrière
The Clos de la Perrière sits at the top of the Fixin slope, just below the treeline, looking out towards the Dijon plain, the outskirts of Dijon are visible from the vineyard. This elevated position gives the Clos a distinct microclimate: cooler nights, more persistent winds, slower ripening. It is precisely what gives the wines their character, a freshness and limestone minerality that Fixin Premier Cru delivers more distinctly than premiers crus further south on the Côte de Nuits.
Bénigne Joliet identifies four distinct terroirs within the Clos: a very stony, limestone-rich zone; a clay zone; a mixed clay-limestone zone; and the upper area, cooler and closer to the forest. Each is vinified separately in stainless steel, on indigenous yeasts, before a final assemblage just weeks before bottling. This geological mosaic, direct legacy of the stone quarry that once gave the site its name, confers on the wines a stratigraphic complexity without equivalent in the appellation.
Viticulture and commitments
Bénigne Joliet farms organically without seeking certification, by choice rather than by lack of conviction. Wildflowers and grasses grow freely between the rows, prunings are left on the ground to build humus, and no chemical products touch these five hectares. The vines average 50 years of age; the oldest reach 80 to 100 years old. It is these old vines that go into the most demanding cuvées of the estate.
In the cellar, the philosophy is one of non-intervention and transparency. Fermentation starts spontaneously, on indigenous yeasts. Depending on the vintage, Bénigne vinifies with a variable proportion of whole clusters up to 100% in the finest years. Ageing lasts twenty-four months in French oak barrels (approximately 20% new wood), with no racking. Each micro-terroir stays separate until the final assemblage, a few weeks before bottling.
The same standards guide Maison Joliet in its selections: environmentally responsible viticulture, reasoned and transparent winemaking, and lasting human relationships with partner growers. Out of sixty samples tasted blind raw, unmanipulated wines Camille and Bénigne retained just five. A selection rate of under 10% that defines the spirit of the Maison.
Grape varieties and appellations
Domaine Joliet produces under a single appellation: AOC Fixin Premier Cru, exclusively from the Clos de la Perrière. Two colours: red in Pinot Noir (4.5 hectares, around 15,000 bottles per year) and white in Chardonnay (0.5 hectares, around 2,000 bottles per year). This white Fixin Premier Cru is a rarity: one of the very few Climats in Burgundy planted in both colours.
Maison Joliet broadens the range across other Burgundian appellations: Bourgogne regional white, Monthélie Village white (Côte de Beaune), Santenay Village red (Côte de Beaune) and Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Côte de Nuits. Always Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Burgundy's two varieties, expressed with the greatest possible precision according to each terroir.
Wine style and cuvées
The wines of Domaine Joliet are born from parcel-by-parcel vinification: each of the four micro-terroirs of the Clos is fermented separately, on indigenous yeasts, before the final blend is assembled. The Maison Joliet selections are chosen from already-vinified wines tasted blind, held to the same exacting criteria. In both cases, the common thread is precision: no intervention that is not necessary, no compromise on the quality of the fruit.
Fixin Premier Cru - Clos de la Perrière Red
Red · 100% Pinot Noir · Old vines 40–100 years · 18 months in oak · ~15,000 bottles/year · Domaine Joliet
The flagship wine of the estate, an assemblage of the four micro-terroirs of the Clos. Vinified with whole clusters depending on the vintage, on indigenous yeasts, with no racking across twenty-four months of ageing. On the nose: blackberry, plum, wild herbs, hints of menthol. On the palate: tannic density rare for a Fixin premier cru, mineral length, silky and persistent finish. Rated 96/100 by Decanter for the 2019 vintage. A cellar wine built to age ten to twenty-five years.
Fixin Premier Cru - Clos de la Perrière White
White · 100% Chardonnay · 0.5 hectare · ~2,000 bottles/year · Absolute rarity · Domaine Joliet
One of the very few white Premier Crus of Fixin. The Chardonnay here expresses a taut limestone minerality, a coolness born of the high slope, and a complexity made precious by the half-hectare scale. Fewer than 2,000 bottles per year. Serve with fine fish, a roast Bresse chicken or a well-aged Burgundy cheese, Époisses, aged Comté.
Bourgogne Chardonnay - White
White · Chardonnay · AOC Bourgogne · Maison Joliet Selection · Sustainable viticulture
The entry point into the Joliet universe. A Burgundy white retained from sixty samples for its natural aromatic freshness, its tension and its honest expression of Burgundian Chardonnay. Ideal as an aperitif, with scallops, roast poultry or a hard cheese.
Monthélie Village - White
White · Chardonnay · AOC Monthélie Village · Côte de Beaune · Maison Joliet Selection
Monthélie, a Côte de Beaune village overlooked by its neighbours Volnay and Meursault, produces whites of quiet, lasting elegance. This Maison Joliet selection reveals a floral, clean Chardonnay with fine persistence and a mineral freshness characteristic of the well-exposed villages of the Côte de Beaune.
Santenay Village - Red
Red · Pinot Noir · AOC Santenay Village · Côte de Beaune · Maison Joliet Selection
Santenay, at the southern tip of the Côte de Beaune, produces generous, straightforward Pinot Noirs with clearly drawn fruit. This Maison Joliet selection embodies the spirit of the négociant house: a wine chosen not for its label but for what it delivers in the glass, supple tannins, crunchy red fruit, a fresh finish. An everyday red from environmentally responsible farming.
Charmes-Chambertin - Grand Cru
Red · Pinot Noir · AOC Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru · Côte de Nuits · Ultra-limited edition · Maison Joliet
The summit of the Maison Joliet range. A Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru retained from sixty samples, the most rigorous selection of the entire range. Deep nose of dark fruit, gentle spice, woodland undergrowth. A full, silky palate with the density and length that define the great crus of the Côte de Nuits. Available in minute quantities: every vintage is an occasion not to miss.
Direct from the estate · Shipped from Fixin
What you will only find at Domaine & Maison Joliet
Fixin's only monopole, undivided since 1853. In Burgundy, vineyards fracture with every inheritance. The Clos de la Perrière five walled hectares, has never been split. Six generations of the Joliet family held this ground so that the terroir could remain what it is: whole and singular. What you buy carries that unbroken history.
A Cistercian cellar from 1142, still in use. Bénigne Joliet makes his wines in the same vaulted cave the monks of Cîteaux built almost nine centuries ago. The original press ran until 1959. This is not heritage preserved behind glass: it is a living tool that shapes every vintage produced here.
A Premier Cru with Grand Cru ambitions. In 1850, the Clos de la Perrière was ranked as a Tête de Cuvée equal to what are now the Grand Crus of the Côte de Nuits. Jancis Robinson wrote that this vineyard is “clearly a very special vineyard” and “under-estimated at its current premier cru status.” Bénigne Joliet is pursuing that reclassification. Every bottle you buy is part of that story.
A négociant selection filtered to under 10%. Sixty samples tasted blind. Five retained. Camille and Bénigne do not choose wines for their appellation name or their price: they choose wines that correspond to a precise vision of Burgundy accurate, human, and free of artifice. That filter is the guarantee behind every Maison Joliet bottle.
Frequently asked questions about Domaine & Maison Joliet
What is the Clos de la Perrière and why is it so special ?
The Clos de la Perrière is a five-hectare monopole classified as Fixin Premier Cru, founded in 1142 by the Cistercian monks of Cîteaux and owned by the Joliet family since 1853. Its singularity rests on three points: it has never been divided exceptional in Burgundy it sits on four distinct micro-terroirs vinified separately, and it produces one of the very few white Premier Crus of Fixin. In 1850 it was classified on a par with the current Grand Crus of the Côte de Nuits.
Why buy Joliet wines through direct sourcing on Avenue des Vins ?
Because the wines of Domaine and Maison Joliet are produced in confidential quantities 15,000 bottles of red, 2,000 of white from the domaine, and only five cuvées in the Maison selection. Ordered through Avenue des Vins, every bottle leaves directly from the Manoir de la Perrière in Fixin, with no intermediary, at the estate price, in the exact storage conditions maintained by Bénigne and Camille Joliet.
What food pairings work with Domaine & Maison Joliet wines ?
The Fixin Premier Cru Red pairs with roast lamb, game birds, beef bourguignon or aged Burgundy cheeses. The Fixin Premier Cru White accompanies fine fish, a roast Bresse chicken or scallops. The Bourgogne Chardonnay is perfect as an aperitif. The Santenay red suits everyday meals grills, terrines, braised dishes. The Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru deserves exceptional occasions: game, black truffle, pigeon with ceps.
What is the difference between Domaine Joliet and Maison Joliet ?
Domaine Joliet produces exclusively the wines of the Clos de la Perrière, Fixin Premier Cru red and white, from the family's five-hectare monopole. Maison Joliet is a négociant structure created in 2013, relaunched in 2022 by Camille and Bénigne Joliet, which selects wines from other Burgundian appellations to the same exacting standards. Two distinct structures, one identical philosophy: precision, transparency, and no compromise on quality.
How long can you cellar a Fixin Premier Cru Clos de la Perrière ?
The Fixin Premier Cru Red is built for long ageing. Decanter recommends opening the 2019 vintage from 2026, with potential through to 2049. As a general rule, allow 8 to 20 years depending on the vintage. The white is best enjoyed earlier 5 to 10 years, though its minerality allows it to evolve beautifully with time. Maison Joliet selections are best drunk within 3 to 10 years depending on the appellation.
What is the price range of Domaine & Maison Joliet wines ?
The Maison Joliet range starts with the Bourgogne Chardonnay, the ideal entry point into the Joliet universe, and extends to the Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, the most demanding selection of the range. The Domaine wines Fixin Premier Cru red and white are produced in confidential quantities. Purchased through direct sourcing on Avenue des Vins, prices reflect the estate directly no négociant margin, no intermediary. Current vintages and pricing are available on the boutique.
Direct sourcing · Shipped from the Manoir de la Perrière
Domaine & Maison Joliet - Manoir de la Perrière - Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
AOC Fixin Premier Cru - Clos de la Perrière - Family monopole since 1853