2012 Bâtard-Montrachet, Grand Cru, Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard, Burgundy

Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or. Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

Bâtard-Montrachet, nestled in the heart of Burgundy's Côte de Beaune, is revered for its exceptional Chardonnay wines. This Grand Cru appellation boasts a terroir characterised by limestone and clay soils, imparting a unique mineral complexity to its wines, which typically exhibit ripe fruit flavours alongside nuanced hazelnut and honey notes.

Caroline Lestimé took over from her father, Jean-Noël, in 1989, though Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard still retains his name. The estate’s modern reputation has very much been built by Caroline, who has made it her responsibility to develop the many expressions of Chassagne Montrachet terroirs across her range. About Domaine Jean-Noël Gagnard There are 12 different Premiers Crus to choose from; some now carry their own identity, having previously been offered under the larger Morgeot appellation. She has bought more land in Chassagne when available and affordable, and there’s a very well-situated white wine vineyard in the Hautes-Côtes, sold under the L’Estimée brand. Some very attractive reds from Chassagne round off the range. In the vineyard The vineyards are all organic, now certified; Caroline plans to put that status on her labels from the 2019 vintage. In the winery A little perspective is always an asset with Caroline’s wines: it’s not her style to manipulate or force, and any perception of dumbness is always mitigated once in bottle. Caroline is always very attuned to her wines’ progress during élevage.