Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets 2013 750ml

The 2013 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru les Caillerets has an enthralling bouquet full of chalk and flint scents, all with great precision, hints of orange blossom developing in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with impressive depth – subtle white peach notes inflecting the fruit with a smooth and sensual butterscotch-tinged finish that feels long in the mouth. This should offer immense pleasure over the next decade and more.

• Country: France
• Region: Burgundy
• Appellation: Cote De Beaune
• Sub Appellation: Chassagne Montrachet
• Size: 750ml
• Color: White

Varietal

Chardonnay

Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.