Wine Advisor
Fontaine Gagnard, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2013
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 Bâtard Montrachet Grand Cru has a much more austere bouquet than the Criots: stubborn and standoffish at the moment. The palate is well balanced with light peach, tangerine and lemon curd notes, the new oak (one-third) nicely integrated and rounding out the tensile finish that displays superb salinity. The more this stays in the glass, the better it becomes. Superb.
About the Producer
Laurence Gagnard and Richard Fontaine founded the domaine in 1985 with passion and enthusiasm; their daughter Céline joined the estate in 2007. The family has worked in the vineyards for several centuries, and the domaine carries on this legacy - love of the "terroir" and the search for the best possible quality. Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard works on 22 different appellations, including three Grands Crus: Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet and the crown jewel, Le Montrachet. The estate covers 12 hectares mainly in Chassagne and the winemaking methods are traditional: hand-picking, settling fermentation using natural yeasts, ageing in oak barrels (0 to 30% new oak, depending on the appellation), fining and light filtration. The white wines are bottled after one year of maturation; red wines stay in the barrel for up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. "Fontaine-Gagnard is a Chassagne domaine that has really upped the ante in recent vintages since Celine Fontaine has taken the reins. This was a splendid showing of wines, one of the most comprehensive in Chassagne" Wine Advocate
