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2013 and 2012 White Burgundies (Sep 2014)

(Fontaine owns two parcels on the Chassagne-Montrachet side, mostly just below Montrachet; 13.7% alcohol): Pale straw-yellow. Aromas of lemon, lime, menthol, crushed stone and iodine. Outsized, ripe and rich, even massive, but not yet showing grand cru precision or cut. With its elevated alcohol, this wine will need six or seven years to burn off…

2012 Red Burgundy: Against All Odds (Jan 2014)

A darker side of Chambolle emerges from the 2012 Chambolle-Musigny Les Sentiers. Black cherries, plums, cloves and spices flesh out in a broad-shouldered wine endowed with richness and volume. The 2012 is a bit sauvage, some of which may come from the inclusion of 30-40% whole clusters. Next to the Hauts Doix, the Sentiers comes…

The 2012 Red Burgundies from Bottle (Mar 2015)

(50% vendange entier): Good deep red. Ripe aromas of small wild red fruits, mocha and brown spices, plus a note of menthol; deeper-pitched than the Haut-Doix. Then big, ripe and rich but fine-grained, with savory red fruit flavors complicated by spices and torrefaction. Finishes youthful, broad and long. Nicolas Groffier noted that his family used…

2012 Red Burgundy: Against All Odds (Jan 2014)

Hard candy, sweet red berries, cinnamon and mint are all seamless and beautifully integrated in the 2012 Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses. With time in the glass, the flavors become a bit darker and richer, with red and purple tones that gain focus. Today, the Amoureuses comes across as a bit raw and not fully formed, but…

The 2012 Red Burgundies from Bottle (Mar 2015)

(25% whole clusters): Bright medium red. Deep but reticent aromas of wild red berries, red cherry, cocoa powder and mint. Sweet and plush on entry, then savory and perfumed in the middle, with slightly high-toned raspberry and spice flavors lifted by notes of crushed stone, red licorice and flowers. Boasts considerable volume and density but…

Vinous Table: Côte, Guildford, UK (Mar 2023)

The 2013 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru from Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is a bottle earmarked for my vintage overview next year, but here was a chance to examine it over time. Intense on the nose, it has razor-sharp delineation and impressive focus, with scents of honeysuckle, lime, crushed stone and blood orange, completely delivering what you expect from…