Founded in 1985, Fontaine Gagnard has risen to become the go-to domaine for those who wish to compare and explore the different terroirs in the southerly village of Chassagne Montrachet in Cote d’Or in Burgundy. Fontaine Gagnard’s hallmark expressions are their holdings in Montrachet and Criots-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru and the Premier Crus of Caillerets and Romanee.The domaine currently owns and farms 12 hectares of vineyards.

Their winemaking remains traditionalist – fermentation was carried out on native yeasts, and the whites and reds are respectively aged for one year and a year and a half respectively in barrels designed specially for them. This delivers consistently intense, focused, deep and complex wines on the top of the quality pyramid, whilst offer drinkers accessible, classically balanced and terroir-expressive wines for everyday drinking pedigree wines.

Here’s a handy guide on which of their vineyards to go for based on stylistic preferences. If you are looking for structure, go for their Premier Cru Maltroie and Vergers. If you are looking for a quintessential chalk soil, steely and lean expression, go for their Caillerets. If you are looking for richness and opulence, go for their La Romanee. Among their grand cru bottlings, Criots Batard Montrachet offers exotic complexity and a beautiful balance between oak spices, minerality and multi-layered tree and stone fruit characters. Their Batard is among the raciest, the most minerally and thus restrained in Burgundy.

Wine Packing Score Per Case Per Btl
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie 2015 (Mag) 6 x 1.5L VS91 £ 705 $ 1,121
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie 2017 (Mag) 6 x 1.5L VS91 £ 704 $ 1,119
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie 2019 (Mag) 6 x 1.5L VS90 £ 786 $ 1,250
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroie 2020 6 x 75cl VS92 £ 323 $ 513
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. VS92
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Romanee 2020 3 x 1.5L VS94 £ 775 $ 2,465
The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet La Romanee 1er Cru has a very perfumed bouquet with yellow fruit, white peach and pressed white flower aromas. The palate is well balanced with fine salinity, quite linear and reserved at first, yet the intensity is delivered on the back end with a vivacious, stem ginger-tinged finish that leaves the mouth tingling. Superb. VS94
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Boudriotte 2020 6 x 1.5L VS94 £ 775 $ 2,465
The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Murées 1er Cru, one of the slowest ripening of the Domaine’s vineyards, has a fragrant bouquet with white peach and honeysuckle aromas, a touch of orange blossom. The palate is well balanced with a honeyed texture, slightly lower acidity than other cuvées, lightly spiced and beautifully defined towards the finish. VS92
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2009 12 x 75cl – £ 2,524 $ 2,006
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2010 12 x 75cl – £ 2,356 $ 1,873
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2015 12 x 75cl VS94 £ 1,237 $ 983
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2018 (Mag) 3 x 1.5L VS92 £ 678 $ 2,157
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2019 (Mag) 3 x 1.5L VS93 £ 641 $ 2,037
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2020 6 x 75cl VS93 £ 657 $ 1,045
Bright yellow. The nose suggests a wine with terrific inner-mouth tension: yellow peach, white flowers, menthol, minerals and crushed rock. Fatter than the Vergers in the mouth, with a seductive orange zest sweetness throughout, but kept firm and bright by piquant minerality. Quite tight on the long, aromatic back end. More austere than the Vergers, and not showing the early balance of that wine. VS94
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Vergers 2020 6 x 75cl VS94 £ 437 $ 694
The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Vergers 1er Cru from vines located on the Saint-Aubin side on shallow soils, has wonderful minerality on the nose, crushed rock filtering through the citrus fruit. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, lively and spicy on the finish with veins of stem ginger. I love this…you will too. VS94
Fontaine Gagnard Criots Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2019 (Mag) 3 x 1.5L VS92 £ 1,927 $ 6,127
Fontaine Gagnard Criots Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2020 3 x 75cl VS94 £ 1,254 $ 3,988
The 2020 Criots-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, matured in around 40% new oak, has quite an intense bouquet: orange pith, grilled hazelnut and walnut, just a hint of spice. It will require time for the wood to fully integrate. The palate is rounded in texture with light tropical notes, passion fruit and pineapple counterbalanced by a fine line of acidity. Just misses a little tension on the finish, but otherwise this is very fine. VS94
Fontaine Gagnard Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2019 (Mag) 3 x 1.5L VS94 £ 1,929 $ 6,134
Fontaine Gagnard Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2020 6 x 75cl VS96 £ 2,128 $ 3,382
The 2020 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru conveys more tension and mineralité on the nose than the Criots, very well defined with wet limestone mixed with citrus fruit and apple blossom. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, taut and fresh with a saline finish that has a lovely edginess. With great persistent and poise, this is a very impressive Bâtard-Montrachet. VS96
Fontaine Gagnard Montrachet Grand Cru 2012 3 x 75cl – £ 1,734 $ 5,514
Fontaine Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Clos des Murees 2020 6 x 75cl VS92 £ 458 $ 728
The 2020 Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Murées 1er Cru, one of the slowest ripening of the Domaine’s vineyards, has a fragrant bouquet with white peach and honeysuckle aromas, a touch of orange blossom. The palate is well balanced with a honeyed texture, slightly lower acidity than other cuvées, lightly spiced and beautifully defined towards the finish. VS92