Fontaine-Gagnard

In the village of Chassagne-Montrachet, situated in Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, lies a relatively young winery that owns a portfolio of vineyards which would have taken most estates generations to assemble. The ‘Fontaine-Gagnard’ winery was founded as recently as 1985, yet its roots in the Gagnard family run much deeper, and today it owns plots in three Grand Crus and more than a dozen Premier Crus in one of the world’s most competitive villages for white wine production.

History

The winery was established in 1985 by Laurence Gagnard, daughter of the respected winemaker Jacques Gagnard, and her husband Richard Fontaine, who entered the wine industry after a career as a mechanic in the French Air Force. The original vineyards were mainly owned by the Gagnard family in Chassagne, whilst additional plots belonged to the Delagrange family, relatives of Laurence’s grandmother, in Pommard. Starting with just over 4 hectares, the couple gradually expanded their holdings through further acquisitions in the 1980s and 1990s, reaching the current total of 12 hectares. Their daughter, Celine Fontaine, joined the domaine in 2007 and has been managing its operations ever since.

In 2018, she was joined by her partner Frédéric Robert, who had previously worked at Domaine Armand Rousseau in Gevrey-Chambertin from 2006 to 2017, to strengthen the vineyard and winemaking operations.

Vineyards

The estate cultivates 12 hectares in Chassagne-Montrachet, as well as small plots in Volnay and Pommard. Across these three villages, the estate produces wines from 22 different appellations. In Chassagne-Montrachet alone, the vineyards include three Grand Cru sites, Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criot-Bâtard-Montrachet, as well as Premier Cru plots in La Romanée, Le Caillere, Morgeot, Le Verger and Clos Saint-Jean. The Grand Cru plots are exceptionally small, and the wines made from their harvest are produced in minuscule quantities each year.

Terroir

Chassagne-Montrachet is situated on the limestone ridge of Burgundy, and the soils on the estate’s plots range from brown calcareous clay in places such as Clos-Saint-Jean to the more complex, mineral-rich soils of the Grand Cru plateau. The village lies at the southern tip of the Côte de Beaune, where a combination of limestone, clay and a favourable east-facing aspect gives the Chardonnay its characteristic richness, balanced by a firm mineral structure. The plots in Pommard and Volnay are situated on heavier, predominantly clayey soils, which are well-suited to Pinot Noir.

Grapes

Chardonnay forms the backbone of the wine-growing industry, occupying the majority of the plots in Chassagne-Montrachet. Pinot Noir is grown in the red vineyards of the village of Chassagne, as well as on plots in Pommard and Volnay. For example, the Clos Saint-Jean plot is planted with Chardonnay vines ranging in age from plantings dating back to 1930 to 1986.

Winemaking

A traditional approach is taken at every stage. The grapes are fermented using indigenous yeasts, and the wines are aged in French oak barrels for between 12 and 18 months. The proportion of new oak varies depending on the classification: from 15 to 20 per cent for ‘Ville’ wines and from 30 to 40 per cent for ‘Premier Cru’ and ‘Grand Cru’ wines.

The oak itself is sourced and selected each year, taking into account the specific characteristics of each forest, with the aim of imparting purity and refinement to the wine rather than a pronounced oaky character. A rational approach is taken to vineyard management, including full ploughing of the soil, regular soil analysis and the annual replacement of dead vines.

Wines

The range, comprising 22 appellations, extends from the village wines ‘Burgundy’ and ‘Chassagne-Montrachet’ to the ‘Premier Cru’ series and the three ‘Grand Cru’ wines at the top of the range.

The flagship white wines are ‘Montrachet’, ‘Bâtard-Montrachet’ and ‘Crio-Bâtard-Montrachet’, all produced in small quantities from grapes harvested from plots selected by Laurent’s father, Jacques Gagnard, in the 1970s, when these plots were less sought-after than they are today.

The red wines from Pommard and Volnay reveal another side to the range and, according to a number of importers, are underrated compared to the whites.

Across the entire range, the wines are characterised by a generous flavour and a vivid expression of terroir; they are ready to drink whilst still young, yet possess the structure to age well over the years.