Considering the reputation I don’t think it is unfair to approach a bottle of Blain-Gagnard Chardonnay with caution. Thus it is kind of ironic that a wine of theirs from a stellar vintage turns out to be flawed with no signs of premox whatsoever. Had it been my first lackluster bottle of the day I just might have poured it down the drain. As it was not and the dinner was ready I decided to suck it up and give it a go with scallops and tajarin with butter and sage. It was a solid pairing all things considered so I suppose it worked out ok in the end. Still, overall quite disappointing as this seemed like a mighty competent bottle of Chassagne besides the diacetyl flaw.
-
2014 Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet (20.3.2020)
I don’t mind some butter on my Chardonnay but I would prefer not to get it in the form of diacetyl. However that is just what the nose here has to the extent that it is hard to concentrate on anything else. On the palate the wine has great volume and depth and plentiful, lifting acidity. Truthful to the vintage it has very good energy, one might call it electric even, and focus while being pleasantly bone dry. It is powerful with quite distinct yet not overpowering spiciness. The flavors on the palate seem somewhat muted or suppressed by the diacetyl flaw but if one can avoid smelling the wine it can be fairly easily appreciated for its textural and structural qualities. A shame really.
Posted from CellarTracker
!
