2010 Criots Batard Montrachet
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Tasting notes
Yellow-gold. Musky oatmeal, clove, peach flesh and spices on the nose, complemented by a note of mirabelle. Opulent and suave, in fact almost glyceral in texture, but strong acidity gives penetration to the flavors of orange peel and minerals. Sexy wine but today its oak element clashes with its acidity. I'd give this two to four years in the cellar to harmonize.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Fontaine-Gagnard's 2010 Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet is wonderfully nuanced and fragrant from start to finish. The Criots is at times even a bit exotic, but it never abandons its sensual, inviting personality and total refinement. In the end, the Criots is all about perfume. This is a great showing for this hugely pleasing Burgundy.
Fontaine-Gagnard’s 2010 Criots-Batard-Montrachet is wonderfully nuanced and fragrant from start to finish. The Criots is at times even a bit exotic, but it never abandons its sensual, inviting personality and total refinement. In the end, the Criots is all about perfume. This is a great showing for this hugely pleasing Burgundy. Anticipated maturity: 2014+. I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted at Fontaine-Gagnard. The 2010s are rich, deep and racy, but also show tremendous transparency with regards to site and have a little more polish than is customary. Celine Fontaine told me she was very surprised by the concentration of the wines given the poor weather during the summer, but that, ultimately, it was the small size of the berries that played a big role in giving the wines their personalities. The harvest started on September 21. All of the 2010s were bottled in August 2011. Although I did not taste any of the reds, Fontaine also told me a number of the estate’s Pinot vineyards were heavily affected by the December 2009 frost and required replanting. Importers: Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404, Jeffrey Wellburn Selections, Van Nuys, CA; tel. (818) 780-4446
Complex notes of spice, mineral and citrus and a touch of smoky reduction. Cedary freshness with a cool lingering persistence. Refined, gently creamy in the middle, pure and transparent.(JH)