2019 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is one of the best producers in the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. The domain has its origins in the fine Gagnard-Delagrange holdings of fifty years ago, as the vineyards come from the marriage of Richard Fontaine to Jacques Gagnard's eldest daughter, Laurence Gagnard, in 1982. The Gagnard family is very close, with much of the vineyard work and the gracious Céline Fontaine heart and soul managing the family's Chassagne-Montrachets, such as the premier crus as well as the grand crus of Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Montrachet itself.

The style of the wines at Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is intense, concentrated, deep and complex. These are Chassagnes that start life as classically balanced and accessible, but always with fine expressions of terroir and underlying structure to age gracefully. The wines are generally aged in about a third of new oak for the premier crus and slightly more for the grand crus. Celine's Chassagne Blanc is one of the villages of great value, but the real fireworks begin with the premier crus. The range of Fontaine-Gagnard premier crus starts with Chassagne "Clos St. Jean", always the most progressive of the premier crus and quite popular on wine lists due to its relatively early drinkability. Chassagne also has wines with a little more structure than Clos St. Jean, and capable of aging for fifteen to twenty years in a top vintage. The two best premier crus in the line-up are "Caillerets", whose very calcareous soils typically produce the longest-lived premier cru in the estate's portfolio, and their dramatic and always fantastic "La Romanée". The estate also has a rare holding in the small vineyard of Chassagne "Grande Montagne", which is located in the heart of the band of the best Chassagne premier crus at the top of the slope, including Virondot, Grandes Ruchottes, La Romanée and Caillerets .

Among the grand crus, Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard has one of the largest pieces of the smallest grand cru in the Côte de Beaune, "Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet". Clive Coates called the Fontaine-Gagnard Criots "one of the very best sources for this little grand cru." There is often a touch of exotic complexity in Criots, as it offers delicious herbal elements and an almost "salty" nuance that marries the layers of apple and pear fruit and a fine base of chalky minerality. Celine Fontaine is also an excellent example of Bâtard-Montrachet - one of the raciest and most mineral Bâtards - and a little piece of Le Montrachet itself. The red wines should not be overlooked here, as there is a robust and age-worthy Chassagne-Montrachet rouge, as well as the consistently fine Volnay "Clos des Chênes" and Pommard "Rugiens". All in all, Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is one of the very best in Chassagne-Montrachet and a consistently excellent resource that we highly recommend exploring.

1er Cru Les Caillerets combines notes of citrus oil and white flowers with aromas of pear and peach. Medium to full bodied, satiny and meaty, it reveals fine depth in the core and promises chalky grip to balance the fat on the mid-palate. The vinification methods remain classic. Fermentation with native yeasts, 12 to 18 months of aging in oak barrels. Only the amount of new oak varies for the wines, namely 15-20% for the Villages, 30-40% for the Premiers Crus / Grands Crus. All year round, from pruning, they work on the vines to give them the best quality potential at harvest (plowing, regular soil analyses, annual replacement of dead vines, integrated cultivation, etc.)

FACT : The wine is stored in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount. You will immediately see the possible discount if you choose Pickup in the Checkout page. We are almost next to the Rijksweg with plenty of parking. Click here for address.