2009 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru

The 2009 Batard-Montrachet is a big wine. Today it shows its broad shoulders and structure, but also comes across as less obvious than the Criots, suggesting it has begun to shut down in bottle. There is plenty of finesse and personality in the glass, but this is a wine whose best days are still at least a few years away. Nevertheless, it is impossible to miss the wine’s exceptional harmony, laser-like focus and promise. Anticipated maturity: 2016+. Richard Fontaine began harvesting the 2009s on September 6. The malos were fairly quick and were completed by April 2010. The wines were racked in June and bottled in early September. Perhaps it is inevitable with a total of ten different Chassagne premier crus in the lineup, but in this vintage not all of the wines are markedly different from each other. Importers: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, Jeffrey Wellburn Selections, Van Nuys, CA; tel. (818) 780-4446

The Batard-Montrachet is very subtle on the nose with subtle notes of Kaffir lime, wet limestone and a touch of lemon zest. The palate is very well balanced with good acidity, understated at first but very persistent and brimming with mineralite at the finish. At the moment, I prefer the Caillerets, but that lingering spicy/lemongrass note is very persuasive.  Tasted January 2011. 2009 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Criots-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru Chassagne Montrachet White 95 The Criots has a wonderful, fragrant bouquet of lemon curd, frangipane, white flowers and a touch of orange-blossom with an underlying mineralite developing with aeration. The palate, to be brutally honest, is not quite as ethereal as the aromatics...but not far off. Supremely well balanced, surfeit with mineral-rich dried apricot and passion fruit, great precision on the finish. Though not quite as otherworldly as Olivier Lamy’s Criot this remains a beautiful white Burgundy to cherish. Tasted January 2011.

Bright yellow. Ripe aromas of clove, nut oil, wet stone and menthol. Opens with sweet, ripe fruit salad flavor but closes down a bit in the middle, showing more power than personality today. With time in the glass, this grand cru grew more suave, and distinctly softer than the Bienvenue.