Wine Advisor
Fontaine Gagnard, Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets marries notes of citrus oil and white flowers with aromas of pear and peach. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and fleshy, it reveals fine depth at the core and promising chalky grip to balance its mid-palate fat.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has a minty/aniseed tinged bouquet that opens nicely in the glass. There is a very subtle reduction at play. The palate is well balanced with fine acidity, and, again, rather reductive. But, there is plenty of matière in situ. Fine boned with a lightly spiced and reassuringly persistent finish developing more and more salinity with aeration. Excellent. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 white tasting.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru, the first vineyard to be picked, has a crisp, stony, pressed-flower-scented bouquet that is quite Puligny in style. The palate is very well balanced with a fine line of acidity, impressive <em>nervosité</em> and great persistence on the sapid finish. This comes recommended. 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
