CRAFT + ESTATE PRESENTS Location: Grape Varietals: Chasagne-Montrachet Chardonnay and Pinot Noir & Jean-Marc Blain Claudine Gagnard... met while they were both studying oenology at Dijon. After they married and moved to Chassagne Claudine s home region they began Domaine Blain-Gagnard. Jean-Marc, like Claudine, comes from a grapegrowing background; his family owned vineyards and agricultural land in Sancerre. Jean-Marc and Claudine now have 8.3 hectares of vines, including grands crus Le Montrachet, BâtardMontrachet and Croits-Bâtard-Montrachet, and four white and two red Chassagne premiers crus. They inherited three-fourths of their vineyards from the estate of Claudine s grandfather Edmond Delagrange, and some from the vineyards of their parents.
REPUTATION Jean-Marc believes strongly in the connection between the complex geology of the region and the character of the wines. He s passionate and knowledgeable about how geology has shaped the mineral content of the soils and how differences in the vineyards soils shape the wines. Some Chardonnays, like his Les Caillerets, are more elegant and feminine, with white-rock minerality, while the same varietal grown in denser, red clay soils, like his Morgeot, yields heavier wines with a broader frame. The soils can vary dramatically within just a few meters, making each wine unique. It is Jean-Marc s job as winemaker to allow the wines to express these differences. Generally, both the white and red wines of Domaine Blain- Gagnard need time in the bottle to evolve and they do so remarkably well. Jean-Marc s meticulous attention to detail in both the vineyards and the winery yields terroir-expressive wines of exceptional definition and balance. GRAPEGROWING Claudine s grandfather always felt that our Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Caillerets had very special qualities, divulges Jean-Marc. The name Caillerets comes from cailloux, which means stones, and it s the terroir of the vineyard that sets it apart. The soil here has a 60- to 70-centimeter layer of chailles limestone that was created 140 million years ago, when all of Burgundy was under the sea. Later, glacial action formed soils of red clay and white limestone. Each climat of vines is rooted in different soils, so we must care for the grapes accordingly. Jean-Marc believes that the most intelligent way to farm his vineyards is with a combination of practices: organic, biodynamic and lutte raisonnée. Some viticulturists chose methods according to strict principle, but Jean-Marc believes in remaining flexible in order to work with the personalities of each growing season and vineyard. He explains that even some organic practices, such as using copper, can be bad for the environment if done in excess. Our goal is to have the healthiest grapes so we can make the best wines, but to be respectful of nature, says Jean-Marc. In the 1970s and 1980s the industry systemically sprayed chemicals that polluted the environment, not only here in France but in many agricultural regions worldwide. Burgundian winemakers have learned from each other and developed more sustainable techniques. Jean-Marc no longer uses herbicides. Instead, he plows the soils five times a year, but mows some of the rows, leaving the grass to give the tractors stability when the soils are wet. Years ago, the vineyards were sprayed up to 12 times during the growing season; today they
are sprayed seven or eight times, and the goal is to further reduce applications to five to six times. Every three to four years, Jean-Marc applies an organic fertilizer, determining the correct amount by a juice/petiole/soil analysis. To control yields and fruit spacing, Jean-Marc uses a simple Guyot pruning (long cane) for the Chardonnay and Cordon de Royat (spur pruning) for the Pinot Noir. Jean-Marc maintains a high average vine age by replanting individual vines so he doesn t have to replace a whole vineyard at once. For his grands crus, the young vines give finesse and fruit while wine from the older vines shows more concentration and richness. Mixing the two provides the finest, most balanced wine. Jean-Marc carefully considers when to harvest. Historically in Burgundy, harvest dates were set at about 100 days after flowering and berry set. Our grandfather focused on maximum maturity and harvested as late as possible, provided there was no rot. But today we think more in terms of sugar-to-acid balance and aroma and flavor development, he explains. If Chardonnay is picked early, the wine has more apple, grapefruit and whiteflower aromas and flavors. If late, the wines show peach, tropical and pineapple. Too late is bad for our style and aging; we must have the proper balance. Claudine s grandfather said that perfectly ripe Chardonnay should smell like fresh almonds, so when she smells fresh almonds in the juice, she s very happy, he adds. At Blain-Gagnard, the Pinot Noir of premiers crus Morgeot and Clos Saint-Jean are harvested first, while Jean-Marc waits for the most important Chardonnay vines of the premiers and grands crus whites to reach optimum ripeness....perfectly ripe Chardonnay should smell like fresh almonds, so when she smells fresh almonds in the juice, she s very happy... which he considers more rustic. He prefers medium-toasted barrels from the Damy, Jean-Noël Minier and Sirugue cooperages, which marry well with his vineyards personalities. To develop richness in the wines, the lees are stirred (bâtonnage) once a week until late December or, in some vintages, until February. Following malolactic fermentation and 11 months of aging, the wines are racked twice before a light fining. Bottling is done just before the next vintage. For his red Burgundies, Jean-Marc s focus is on terroir and fruit expression with very little oak influence. The destemmed Pinot Noir grapes are cold soaked (pre-fermentation maceration) for three to four days for gentle flavor, color and tannin extraction. Following the native yeast fermentation, which lasts about four days, the wine is given about four more days of skin contact before pressing. Jean-Marc chooses older barrels for his red wines ones that have been used for aging his Chardonnay wines because he wants to respect the aromas of Pinot Noir. He also wants to develop suppleness without picking up oak tannins. During its 18 months of aging, the Pinot Noir undergoes native malolactic fermentation. Like Domaine Blain-Gagnard s white wines, its Pinot Noirs require five to ten years of bottle aging before they fully reveal their layers of flavors and complexity. WINEMAKING With the goal of producing vins de garde wines with sufficient depth and structure to be kept for many years Jean-Marc barrel ferments all the Chardonnay and allows plenty of lees contact during aging. Following pressing, the juice is inoculated with selected cultured yeast for greater control over the fermentation. However, Jean-Marc likes a natural, spontaneous malolactic fermentation to occur slowly as the wines barrel age in the cellar. A.O.C. Grands Crus A.O.C. Village Premiers Crus A.O.C. Village Depending on the vineyard, Jean-Marc chooses 10 to 20 percent new oak barrels for the villages and premiers crus and 30 percent new oak for the grands crus. Eighty percent of the oak comes from the Allier and Cher forests and only 20 percent from Nevers,
THE WINES Chassagne-Montrachet Chassagne-Montrachet lies towards the southern end of the Côte de Beaune and is famous for its white wines, although half of its total plantings are in red. In addition to the Grand Crus, Blain-Gagnard s holdings in Chassagne-Montrachet include two red premier crus and four white premier crus along with small holdings in Volnay and Pommard. The vineyards are farmed by lutte raisonée ( reasoned struggle. ) Blain-Gagnard produces classic Chassagne-Montrachet from vines planted between 1932 and 2004. The wine is aged in 10-20% new Burgundian pièce. The white wines of Chassagne-Montrachet can resemble those of its neighbor, Puligny. Both are tense with acidity although Chassagne can sometimes be a little softer and broader. Both show crisp apple and citrus flavors, but some Chassagnes surprise with an unexpected red fruit note. Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte 1er Cru is located on the grounds of the Morgeot Abbey and is technically a subsection of Morgeot. Boudriotte itself is made up of six individual lieux-dits, all of which may also be bottled as Morgeot 1er Cru. The vineyard lies on a gentle slope of gravel, clay, and limestone, from vines planted between 1932 and 1969. Like Morgeot, La Boudriotte can have weight, depth, and richness, but is typically a bit more finessed. Aromas and flavors of yellow apples, lemons, and minerals are accompanied by notes of vanilla and toast thanks to aging in 30% new Burgundian pièce.
Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru In the not-too-distant past, Chassagne-Montrachet produced much more red wine than white. Today, the village still produces around 50% red wine and Morgeot continues to be a very fine source for red Burgundy. White wines from the heavier soils of Morgeot tend to be rich, weighty, and generous with fruit, a premier cru that can be enjoyed young. Morgeot is a white wine of volume, richness, and texture with aromas and flavors of ripe yellow apple, peach, and lemon. Occasionally, one finds a note of red fruit in Morgeot such as red apple or berry. Aging in 30% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla and toast. Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet comprises the two villages which are the smallest of the Grand Crus in Chassagne and Puligny-Montrachet with just 3.9 acres. The vineyard is located entirely within the commune of Chassagne-Montrachet and sits directly south of Bâtard-Montrachet. Criots is one of the smallest appellations in France and there are only a handful of producers who bottle it. It s easy to assume that Criots would have the same richness and weight as Bâtard, its next-door neighbor. In fact, Criots is the most delicate of the five Grand Crus in the vicinity. The wines are more about perfume and delicacy with fine structure and intense minerality, and is from vines planted between 1929 and 1979. Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Jean 1er Cru Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint-Jean 1er Cru is located above the village of Chassagne and just beneath a large limestone quarry making for a charming vineyard with a good view of the village below. This was once an important source for red wine but today Pinot Noir accounts for only a small portion of the vineyard. Clos Saint-Jean shows aromas and flavors of ripe yellow apple, peach, and lemon. One expects Clos Saint-Jean to be tense and high in acidity given its position on the hill, but it is often quite rich and broad instead. Aging in 30% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla and toast. Bâtard-Montrachet Bâtard-Montrachet is shared almost evenly between the two villages of Puligny and Chassagne. It is the largest of the area s five Grand Crus with the upper section closest to Montrachet sharing similar soil and exposure. The Blain-Gagnard wine comes from three vineyard plots totaling 1.1 acres, and is from vines planted between 1939 and 1986. A great Bâtard-Montrachet is a wine of volume, weight, and power with rich honeyed flavors, broad texture, and with an intensity of fruit and minerals. It is sometimes compared to the powerful wines of Corton-Charlemagne but Bâtard-Montrachet always has more tautness and tension, making a great wine for cellaring ten years or more. Chassagne-Montrachet Caillerets 1er Cru Les Caillerets is located at the southern end of the village and sits above Les Champs Gain at an elevation between 250 and 280 meters. The name Caillerets refers to the chalky soil found here which contributes to the elegance and finesse typical of wines from this site, and is from vines planted between 1954 and 1987. Old vines contribute density and concentration to this white premier cru that is otherwise known for its elegance. It has aromas and flavors of yellow apples, white peach and with firm acidity and layered minerality. Aging in 30% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla and toast. Le Montrachet In 1999, Claudine and Jean-Marc received a 13-row parcel (0.2 acres) of Le Montrachet from Claudine s father, Jacques Gagnard. From the 2000 vintage on, Le Montrachet from this parcel is made at and bottled as Domaine Blain-Gagnard. Only one or two barrels of this wine are produced each vintage, from vines planted in 1934. Montrachet is Chardonnay at its most perfect
with all of it components in perfect balance. Montrachet has power, concentration, and firm structure and is destined for long aging. Montrachet also has more weight and richness than the other Grand Crus and yet is somehow also the most finessed. It is shared almost evenly between the two villages of Puligny and Chassagne and may be labeled Le Montrachet in Chassagne and simply Montrachet in Puligny. Chassagne-Montrachet (Rouge) Chassagne-Montrachet rouge can have some of the same characteristics found in the red wines of the Côte de Nuits. They can have some of the same tannins and earthiness found in Nuits- Saint-Georges and the premier crus especially can occasionally rival the complexity and longevity found in more famous red wine villages. Domaine Blain-Gagnard is well-known as an excellent source for Chassagne-Montrachet rouge. Old vines (with some plantings dating back to 1932) give depth and concentration while aging in old barrels allows the appellation to speak clearly. This is classic Chassagne-Montrachet rouge with earthy sauvage flavors and a dark fruit profile. Pommard Pommard comes from just.42 hectares of two village-level climats that lie on the Volnay side of the village: La Croix Planet and Les Combes Dessous. Average vine age is 35 to 45 years old. The wine is aged for 18 months in used Burgundian pièce. Pommard is a wine of fullness and sturdiness, especially when compared to the finessed and perfumed wines found in the neighboring village of Volnay. This Pommard shows the density typical of old vines but with pretty aromatics of flowers and herbs thanks to the vineyards proximity to Volnay. Chassagne-Montrachet Morgeot 1er Cru (Rouge) Chassagne-Montrachet used to produce much more red wine than white. Today, the village still produces around 50% red wine with Morgeot premier cru being one of its best red wine vineyards. Heavier soils and excellent exposure make this an outstanding climat for Pinot Noir. Morgeot premier cru rouge is a wine with weight, richness, and structure thanks to old vines planted between 1949 and 1991. It has a deep and complex nose with notes of pepper, earth, cassis, and red and dark berries, with fine tannins and great purity of fruit thanks to aging in neutral oak barrels. Volnay Les Pitures 1er Cru Volnay Les Pitures 1er Cru is sits at the top of the hill between Clos des Ducs and Champans, two well-known premier crus thanks to the Marquis d Angerville who owns and produces both. The marly limestone at the top of this hill is different from the rock at the bottom which is hard limestone. The soil gives a more robust Volnays, more Pommard in character. Volnay is often described as silky and elegant but the wines can vary in style depending on the soil and elevation of the vineyard. They have a high percentage of limestone and show classic Volnay character of perfume and finesse. Les Pitures is robust and opulent with violet, plum, earth and a subtle spiciness. Aged in neutral oak barrels. 2017 Selected and Imported by Winebow, Inc., New York, NY Photographs by Michel Joly Map courtesy of www.bourgogne-wines.com