Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is one of the finest and most integral producers in the village of Chassagne-Montrachet. The domaine has its origin in the fine Gagnard-Delagrange holdings of fifty years ago, as the vineyards hail from the marriage of Richard Fontaine to Jacques Gagnard’s oldest daughter, Laurence Gagnard, in 1982. The Gagnard family is very close-knit, with much of the vineyard work shared by various branches of the family. The intuitive and graceful Céline Fontaine has been overseeing the family holdings and winemaking since 2007, and today, she is joined by her partner Fred Robert who worked at Rousseau from 2006 to 2017. Together they manage the the heart and soul of Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard -- the family's Chassagne-Montrachets, which includes a fine clutch of 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, focused, deep and complex. These are Chassagnes that start out life as classically balanced and accessible, but always with fine expressions of terroir and the underlying structure to age gracefully. The wines are generally aged in about a third new oak for the premier crus and a bit more for the grand crus. Céline's Chassagne Blanc is one of the villages great values, but the real fireworks start with the premier crus, beginning with Chassagne “Clos St. Jean”, which is always the most forward of the premier crus and quite popular on wine lists due to its early appeal. There are 1er cru holdings as well in “Maltroie” and "Morgeot", along with the nervier “Vergers” and "Boudriottes", all four of which have a bit more structure than the Clos St. Jean, and are able to age fifteen to twenty years in a top vintage. The top two premier crus in the lineup are "Caillerets," whose very chalky soils typically produce the longest-lived premier cru in the domaine’s portfolio, concluding the 1er cru range with their dramatic and always superb "La Romanée." These two heralded 1er Crus, along with the three Grand Crus, spend 12 months in French oak and then 5 months of harmonizing in tank before bottling.

Amongst 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 named the Fontaine-Gagnard Criots as “one of the very best sources for this tiny grand cru.” There is often a touch of exotic complexity in Criots, as it offers up lovely spice elements and an almost “salty” nuance to go along with the layers of apple and pear fruit and a fine base of chalky minerality. Céline Fontaine also makes an excellent example of Bâtard-Montrachet -- one of the raciest and most mineral Bâtards -- and a small slice of Le Montrachet. The red wines here are not to be overlooked as the Passetoutgrain and Bourgogne Rouge are vibrant and charming, the Chassagne-Montrachet rouge is sturdy and age-worthy, and the Volnay “Clos des Chênes” is consistently full of finesse. All in all, Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is one of the very best in Chassagne-Montrachet, and a consistently excellent source that we strongly recommend.