Fontaine-Gagnard

Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard was created in Chassagne-Montrachet in 1985 by Richard Fontaine and Laurence Gagnard, eldest daughter of Jacques Gagnard-Delagrange, on the division of her father's estate. It works twelve hectares today, principally in Chassagne-Montrachet, with parcels in Volnay and Pommard. Their daughter Céline Fontaine joined in 2007 and runs the domaine; Frédéric Robert joined her in 2018.

Three grands crus head the holdings: Le Montrachet, Bâtard-Montrachet and Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet. In Chassagne-Montrachet premier cru the domaine works Les Vergers, Clos Saint-Jean, La Maltroie, Morgeot, Les Boudriottes, Les Caillerets and La Romanée among others; the Chassagne climat La Romanée is a premier cru, and is not the Vosne-Romanée grand cru of the same name. Village Chassagne-Montrachet is made in both colours.

The vineyards are farmed under culture raisonnée with annual soil analyses; the estate holds no organic or biodynamic certification. Fruit is picked by hand and fermented on indigenous yeasts, and the wines spend twelve to eighteen months in barrel, with fifteen to twenty per cent new oak at village level and thirty to forty per cent on the premiers and grands crus. The style is deep and full, with flesh over the limestone core, and the top wines hold for fifteen to twenty years. Arcana Cabinet lists six wines, all from Chassagne-Montrachet: the premiers crus Les Vergers and Clos Saint-Jean in white, both from the northern half of the commune on the slope above the village; Morgeot in red, the largest premier cru of the village, at the southern end where Chassagne runs down towards Santenay; a second Chassagne premier cru rouge; and village Chassagne-Montrachet in both colours. The range also includes the three grands crus, the other Chassagne premiers crus, and the Volnay and Pommard parcels.