Wine Advisor
Fontaine Gagnard, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Blockier and denser than the Criots, the 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with scents of honeycomb, orange oil, white flowers and toasted nuts. Full-bodied, fleshy and textural, it's lively and long, its rich core of fruit underpinned by ripe acids. Broad-shouldered and expressive, this will drink well sooner than the tighter-knit 2017.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a more expressive bouquet than the Criots at the moment, displaying greater mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is very well balanced with good acidity, and perhaps a little more cohesive than the Criots. A saline finish gets the saliva flowing. Excellent.
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
