2018 Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard, Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru

The 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru has a more expressive bouquet than the Criots at the moment, displaying greater mineralité and terroir expression. The palate is very well balanced with good acidity, and perhaps a little more cohesive than the Criots. A saline finish gets the saliva flowing. Excellent.

Blockier and denser than the Criots, the 2018 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with scents of honeycomb, orange oil, white flowers and toasted nuts. Full-bodied, fleshy and textural, it's lively and long, its rich core of fruit underpinned by ripe acids. Broad-shouldered and expressive, this will drink well sooner than the tighter-knit 2017.

A powerful nose, forthright and a real smokiness. There is a gorgeous salinity to the wine, focused and has a lovely mandarin/limey twist. Majestic fruit and a delightful purity on the finish, very long and fine. (AC)

Slightly unusual nose – a little bit cheesy/sweaty – perhaps the reductive side. Firmly textured but not really that much more concentrated than the Cailleret. (JH)