92 pts Vinous
Maltroie presents one of Chassagnes most complex soil compositions. Small rocks sit atop a fairly deep vein of mineral clay, rich in magnesium and iron oxide, with vines penetrating to a solid bedrock core of limestone. Mid-slope, situated on a slight incline at an altitude of 240-255m. Thought to be the site of an ancient cemetery. 11 months in new and used barrels (1/3 new oak, 1/3 2 years, 1/3 3 years).– By Neal Martin on November 2024

The 2023 Chassagne-Montrachet Maltroye 1er Cru has a “buttoned-down” nose that demands coaxing to reveal its yellow fruit, hazelnut and light orange rind scents. The palate is well balanced and opens up wonderfully with aeration, displaying a touch of orange rind, spice and smokiness on the finish. It’s quite mercurial and, to my senses, fascinating. – By Neal Martin on November 2024

Neal Martin from Vinous HEAPED praise on these wines, just check out this great write up here in addition to the above score:Those familiar with arguably the most dynamic Cte de Beaune appellation will be aware of the recent uptick in consistency and quality at Fontaine-Gagnard. In previous years, winemaker Cline Fontaine mentioned that she is hoping to extend the duration of barrel maturation that has been limited by space. This is now beginning to happen with several of their top cuves enjoying an 18-month levage instead of 12: 12 months in barrel plus another six in vat, often referred to as the Roulot Method. January and February were dry, March wet and April cold but with no frost, she explains as I enjoy another new investmenta table for scribes to rest our weary laptops on. There was some mildew pressure in the early season but it became dry from mid-May with a lot of wind. Flowering started on May 30 and it was great. From June, we had high oidium pressure, so we used more sulphur compared to previous years, which is why there is more reduction. There was hail in Volnay and some Bourgogne Blanc on July 15 but we did not lose a lot, and we had a large crop anyway. But it did damage some berries and risked rot, so this fruit needed to be sorted. We had a very warm summer with sporadic, regular rainfall so there was no stress like in 2022. There was sufficient water in the soil. But because of the quantity of fruit, I felt apprehensive about obtaining concentration. We started picking on September 1 until September 5 for the whites and finished two days later for the reds. It was very hot, especially in the afternoons. We told pickers, if you want to stay, please do, because we wanted to pick quickly. We harvested everything in eight days. It was a generous year. It is rare when Nature gives so much fruit. I dont necessarily agree that the best vintages come from smaller yields, even if the 2022 might taste better than 2023 in 20 years time. We kept a lot of lees as the quality was very good. The 2023 is the first time that I feel at ease doing a bit more reduction on the wines, but I dont want it to obscure the terroir. In 2024, we kept fewer of the lees every vintage is different. The malos were a bit later with many starting not until March, though the reds were quite early, mostly finished in February to April. I think the quality of the Chassagne Rouge was better than in Volnay in 2023. Readers will note the reappearance of the Pommard Rugiens after the vines were replanted in 2017. Some you gain, but some you lose. Their Chassagne La Romane was pulled out in 2023 and is currently off the pitch. There may also be another new addition since a small batch of Ros was made from the saigne done on the Bourgogne Rouge and Chassagne Village Rouge.