Critic ratings
vinous
2017
Rating:
89
–91
Pale yellow. Pear and white flowers on the nose. Concentrated but stony and closed on the palate, showing less fruit in the early going than the Chenevottes. Tactile, salty wine with good breadth but only moderate length and grip. Incidentally, these virused, very old (about 70 years) vines, which typically yield very small grapes, produced less than 40 hectoliters per hectare in 2017 after suffering badly from the frost in 2016, and Céline Fontaine told me that they need to be replanted soon.
vinous
2015
Rating:
89
–91
Bright lemon-yellow color. Restrained aromas of mirabelle, yellow flowers and clove. Brisk but not hard, offering a lovely sugar/acid balance to its intense lemon zest and spice flavors. Finishes with good cut but a touch of youthful rigidity. These vines were originally planted in the 1950s but a lot of them have been replaced through the years.
vinous
2019
Rating:
90
–90
The 2019 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a fragrant, chalk dust scented bouquet that opens nicely with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a lightly spiced opening, touches of orange rind and marmalade lending a welcome tanginess. It might not be a long-term Chassagne, though it is thoroughly enjoyable. 14.10% alcohol.
vinous
2020
Rating:
92
–92
The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a finely tuned nose, the 30% new oak neatly integrated. The palate is well balanced with good depth, honeycomb and orange rind, slightly waxy in texture towards the finish. Good extract here and fine length, this should drink well for 15-20 years.
robert_parker
2018
Rating:
90
–90
The 2018 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie delivers a pretty bouquet of pear, waxy citrus rind and almond paste. Medium to full-bodied, its satiny attack segues into a nicely concentrated core that's underpinned by lively acids, concluding with a precise finish.
robert_parker
2010
Rating:
91
–91
The 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet La Maltroie comes across as soft, delicate and polished. Sweet honeyed tones give the fruit a veil of richness and generosity that stands out in this range. Dried pears, hazelnuts and spices flesh out on the sweet, inviting finish. This is a very beautiful Chassagne in a range full of great, great wines. Anticipated maturity: 2012+.
I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted at Fontaine-Gagnard. The 2010s are rich, deep and racy, but also show tremendous transparency with regards to site and have a little more polish than is customary. Celine Fontaine told me she was very surprised by the concentration of the wines given the poor weather during the summer, but that, ultimately, it was the small size of the berries that played a big role in giving the wines their personalities. The harvest started on September 21. All of the 2010s were bottled in August 2011. Although I did not taste any of the reds, Fontaine also told me a number of the estate’s Pinot vineyards were heavily affected by the December 2009 frost and required replanting.
Importers: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, Jeffrey Wellburn Selections, Van Nuys, CA; tel. (818) 780-4446
