Wine Advisor
Jean Noel Gagnard, Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 1996
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Pierre Rovani
The 1996 Batard-Montrachet has replaced the 1995 as the finest wine I have ever tasted from this estate . Displaying deep, floral, white peach, and mineral aromas, its amazingly rich, full-bodied, and oily-textured core explodes as waves of candied citrus fruits, minerals, metals, pears, honeysuckle, and sweet toasty oak are unleashed across the palate by vibrant and bright acidity. Hugely-structured yet fat and chewy, this expansive, broad and highly-delineated wine possesses an exceedingly long and intricate finish. The rating, with the range of scores in parentheses, indicates the wine was tasted from cask, not bottle. Jean-Noel Gagnard's brilliant 1996s will require patience as they have bracing acidity. These are rich, ripe and extremely well-made wines that, with time, will provide remarkable complexity, minerality, and, most importantly, pleasure. Importers: Classic Wine Imports, Boston, MA; tel (617) 731-6644; and Martin Scott, New York, NY.
About the Producer
Caroline Lestimé took over from her father, Jean-Noël, in 1989, though Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard still retains his name. The estate’s modern reputation has very much been built by Caroline, who has made it her responsibility to develop the many expressions of Chassagne Montrachet terroirs across her range. There are 12 different Premiers Crus to choose from; some now carry their own identity, having previously been offered under the larger Morgeot appellation. She has bought more land in Chassagne when available and affordable, and there’s a very well-situated white wine vineyard in the Hautes-Côtes, sold under the L’Estimée brand. Some very attractive reds from Chassagne round off the range. The vineyards are all organic, now certified; Caroline plans to put that status on her labels from the 2019 vintage. In the winery A little perspective is always an asset with Caroline’s wines: it’s not her style to manipulate or force, and any perception of dumbness is always mitigated once in bottle. Caroline is always very attuned to her wines’ progress during élevage.
