Blain-Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet

Chardonnay & Chardonnay-based blends

Chardonnay & Chardonnay-based blends

Domaine Blain-Gagnard was formed in 1980 when Jean-Marc Blain married Claudine Gagnard, youngest daughter of Jacques and Marie-Josèphe Gagnard of Domaine Gagnard-Delagrange. The couple runs this venerable domaine with the help of their son Marc-Antonin. They now control 20.5 acres of vines in Chassagne-Montrachet, including holdings in three grands crus: Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet, and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet.

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Wine Production

Bâtard-Montrachet is shared almost evenly between the two villages of Puligny and Chassagne. It is the largest of the area’s five Grand Crus with the upper section closest to Montrachet sharing similar soil and exposure. The Blain-Gagnard wine comes from three vineyard plots totaling 1.1 acres, and is from vines planted between 1939 and 1986.

Tasting Notes

A great Bâtard-Montrachet is a wine of volume, weight, and power with rich honeyed flavors, broad texture, and with an intensity of fruit and minerals. It is sometimes compared to the powerful wines of Corton-Charlemagne but Bâtard-Montrachet always has more tautness and tension, making a great wine for cellaring ten years or more.

Food Pairing

White Burgundy, with its rich texture and toasted flavors, pairs well with white fish and shellfish, and its naturally high acidity can counterbalance cream-based sauces. Oak-aging lends itself well to grilled fish, starches, butter, and toasted nuts.

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Wine Production

Tasting Notes

Food Pairing

Brand Materials

Tech Sheet Bottle Shot Acclaim

POINTS

“This astounding wine wows with its tremendous complexity and purity. Energetic aromas of fresh citrus, light orange skins, and ginger spice dominate the nose. The palate is elegant and refined, finishing with a beautiful white-tea leaf note, with pure citrus and fresh stones persistent on the finish. Enjoy now and hold well through 2030+ before revisiting.” –  (Cellar Selection)

POINTS

“A lovely, balanced and rich effort. Although the nose is a bit closed, the wine opens up nicely on the palate, with a very buttery and rich fruit character that is totally typical of Bâtard. From nearly a half-hectare of old vines aged between 50-70 years in three separate parcels in Bâtard. One of these has been recently replanted, and in general the estate does not want all old vines.”

POINTS

“Ripe but not really exotic aromas are comprised by notes of both white and yellow fruit, herbal tea, just sliced citrus and a hint of lemon zest. The sleeker and bigger-bodied flavors pack plenty of punch and power on the more complex if decidedly compact and very tightly wound finale. As one would reasonably expect, this is a wine that will definitely need at least 5 to 7 years of cellaring before it will begin to be approachable. Excellent.”

Burghound

Vineyard & Production Info

Vineyard name:

Bâtard-Montrachet

Vineyard size:

1 acres

Soil composition:

A deep limestone/clay soil with “terres rouges”

Average Vine Age:

a mix of 25, 40 and 50-year-old vines

Winemaking & Aging

Varietal composition:

100% Chardonnay

Fermentation container:

Barrels

Fining agent:

Vegan

Type of oak:

French

Length of aging before bottling:

11 months

Total SO2:

Analytical Data

pH level:

3.23

Acidity:

6.1 g/L

Alcohol:

13.8 %

Dry extract:

21.1 g/L

Total SO2:

Residual sugar:

0.6 g/L

About the Vineyard

Chassagne-Montrachet lies towards the southern end of the Côte de Beaune and is famous for its white wines, although half of its total plantings are in red. In addition to the Grand Crus, Blain-Gagnard’s holdings in Chassagne-Montrachet include two red premier crus and four white premier crus along with small holdings in Volnay and Pommard. The vineyards are farmed by lutte raisonée (“reasoned struggle”).

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