Wine Advisor
Fontaine Gagnard, Criots Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2009
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Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Criots-Batard-Montrachet is an insanely beautiful wine. Layers of fruit emerge effortlessly in this sublime, captivating Burgundy. White flowers, honey and mint contribute to an impression of sensuality on the exceptionally long, silky finish. This is a fabulous effort that is notable for its seamlessness and totally sublime, engaging personality. The Criots is the most delicate of the grand crus here, and it is fabulous. Anticipated maturity: 2016+. Richard Fontaine began harvesting the 2009s on September 6. The malos were fairly quick and were completed by April 2010. The wines were racked in June and bottled in early September. Perhaps it is inevitable with a total of ten different Chassagne premier crus in the lineup, but in this vintage not all of the wines are markedly different from each other. Importers: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, Jeffrey Wellburn Selections, Van Nuys, CA; tel. (818) 780-4446
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
