Wine Advisor
Jean Noel Gagnard, Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets was showing very well, offering up aromas of ripe citrus oil, crisp green apple and white flowers, followed by a medium to full-bodied, pure and incisive palate that's nicely intense and concentrated, with tangy acids and a long, chalky finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Caillerets 1er Cru has the richest nose of the five examples served blind from this climat, featuring pineapple, orange zest, touches of mango and later honeysuckle and chamomile, all very attractive and perfumed. The palate is well balanced with good density and weight, offering mango, passion fruit and stem ginger notes. Powerful, weighty and concentrated; what it lacks in subtlety is compensated by flavor. This will be difficult to resist in its youth, but I believe the terroir will percolate through with time. Tasted blind at the annual Burgfest tasting in Savigny-lès-Beaune.
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.
