Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru 'Clos Saint Jean', Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard 2024

"Rounded and expressive, showing citrus, apple pie and a slightly leafy note. Approachable, with a softer finish and attractive aromatics." Ksenia Pashkova, Club Merchandiser Fontaine-Gagnard is one of Chassagne’s great traditionalists, quietly producing some of the appellation’s most complete and age-worthy wines. Farming is resolutely old-school rather than dogmatic, with a focus on balance, density and longevity over fashion. In 2024, that restraint mattered. The vintage was hard work. High mildew pressure, early harvest beginning on 22 August, and naturally low yields around 35 hl/ha for whites and 30 for reds. A hot August pushed ripeness quickly, but September brought dilution and freshness back into play, finishing around pH 3.3–3.4. The result is a vintage of crunchy acidity, dense fruit and classical proportions, more ripe than 2013, closer in spirit to 2010, though Burgundy has changed too much for lazy comparisons. Oak remains measured at around 20% for village wines and 30% for premiers and grands crus. Clos Saint Jean is the kind of premier cru that rewards those willing to look beyond the village's most hyped parcels. It sits on the southern end of the appellation, where the soils carry more limestone and the wines tend towards precision and length rather than immediate generosity. Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard is one of Tim Atkin's 2024 Top 10 Côte de Beaune White Wine Producers.