Wine Advisor
Fontaine Gagnard, Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2015
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Chassagne Montrachet 1Er Cru Caillerets has a stony, quite austere bouquet at first that needed encouragement from the glass. There is a touch of apricot blossom developing with time though it feels tight-lipped at the moment. The palate is lively with orange zest on the entry, very focused with mineral drive, almost a Chablis-like finish. One of those cases where less is more - watch out for this once in bottle.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Light, bright yellow. Pure but reticent aromas of peach, spices and crushed stone. Savory, dense and mineral-driven; light on its feet but conveys an impression of serious extract. Very classy, austere Caillerets with a pronounced terroir character for this very warm year. Subtly palate-staining, smooth and very long on the finish. A very classy wine with lovely restrained sweetness and excellent depth.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(one of three barrels was new): Bright yellow. The nose suggests a wine with terrific inner-mouth tension: yellow peach, white flowers, menthol, minerals and crushed rock. Fatter than the Vergers in the mouth, with a seductive orange zest sweetness throughout, but kept firm and bright by piquant minerality. Quite tight on the long, aromatic back end. More austere than the Vergers, and not showing the early balance of that wine.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2015 Chassagne Montrachet 1Er Cru Caillerets has a stony, quite austere bouquet at first that needed encouragement from the glass. There is a touch of apricot blossom developing with time though it feels tight-lipped at the moment. The palate is lively with orange zest on the entry, very focused with mineral drive, almost a Chablis-like finish. One of those cases where less is more - watch out for this once in bottle.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(one of three barrels was new): Bright yellow. The nose suggests a wine with terrific inner-mouth tension: yellow peach, white flowers, menthol, minerals and crushed rock. Fatter than the Vergers in the mouth, with a seductive orange zest sweetness throughout, but kept firm and bright by piquant minerality. Quite tight on the long, aromatic back end. More austere than the Vergers, and not showing the early balance of that wine.
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
