Gagnard-Delagrange Bâtard-Montrachet
Gagnard-Delagrange Bâtard-Montrachet
Domaine Gagnard-Delagrange was created in 1959 with the marriage of Jacques Gagnard to Marie-Josèphe Delagrange. After the death of Jacques in 2009, Marie-Josèphe runs the domaine with the help of their grandson, Marc-Antonin Blain. Marc-Antonin worked in the cellar alongside Jacques for three years and learned the traditional style that Gagnard-Delagrange is known for.
Most of the vineyards of Gagnard-Delagrange have been handed down to their two daughters. The domaine, however, retains 7.4 acres of premier crus in Chassagne-Montrachet as well as two small parcels that Marie-Josèphe tends herself: Chassagne Village and a small vineyard of Passetoutgrain called Les Farges.
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 limestone soil and exposure. Gagnard-Delagrange produces just two barrels.
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. Aging in partial new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla and toast.
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.
Domaine Gagnard-Delagrange was created in 1959 with the marriage of Jacques Gagnard to Marie-Josèphe Delagrange. After the death of Jacques in 2009, Marie-Josèphe runs the domaine with the help of their grandson, Marc-Antonin Blain. Marc-Antonin worked in the cellar alongside Jacques for three years and learned the traditional style that Gagnard-Delagrange is known for.
Most of the vineyards of Gagnard-Delagrange have been handed down to their two daughters. The domaine, however, retains 7.4 acres of premier crus in Chassagne-Montrachet as well as two small parcels that Marie-Josèphe tends herself: Chassagne Village and a small vineyard of Passetoutgrain called Les Farges.
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 limestone soil and exposure. Gagnard-Delagrange produces just two barrels.
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. Aging in partial new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla and toast.
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.
