Not only is this a rare micro-bottling of white Burgundy from a tiny single vineyard, it’s from one of the most respected surnames in the world of wine. Michel Gros is part of an illustrious family tree that reads like a who’s who of Burgundy’s greatest labels: Gros Frère, Anne Gros, AF Gros, and, of course, Michel Gros. Each branch of this tree is loaded with pedigree and recognition, and still, today’s “Fontaine Saint Martin” from Michel Gros might just be the most unique of them all.
It comes from a single parcel high in the hills of the Côte de Nuits that is planted to three precious hectares of Chardonnay. Why is this unique? Throughout Michel Gros’ entire range of stunning wines—from Bourgogne to Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot—this is his only
white Burgundy, perhaps making it his most exclusive label. To Michel, crafting a Chardonnay was the missing piece in his dignified lineup, and “Fontaine Saint Martin” more than holds its own alongside the domaine’s reds. While hailing from a little known corner of the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, this Chardonnay tastes like a gorgeous Premier Cru—and that’s why we do what we do. This is what we live for! Quantities are very small, so only six per person until the last bottle disappears.
The Gros family arrived in Vosne-Romanée in the 1830s and subsequently began a winemaking dynasty in Burgundy. While the original estate has been divvied up and spread out amongst several family members now, Michel Gros’ eponymous domaine was renamed after inheriting several parcels from his father, Jean Gros. The other land was divided between his siblings Anne-Françoise Gros (not to be confused with famed Anne Gros, a first cousin) and Bernard Gros, who now runs Gros Frère et Soeur. Got all that?
A couple of the most important vineyards Michel inherited were Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru “Clos de Réas” and today’s “Fontaine Saint Martin” in Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. Perched up in the hills due west of Nuits-Saint-Georges, it hugs the western slopes that start just above the hill of Grand Cru Corton and end right before Chambolle-Musigny. This is largely high-elevation Pinot Noir country, but we’ve discovered that the traces of Chardonnay here produces breathtaking wines that shatter their humble price tags. “Fontaine Saint Martin” is a single-vineyard monopole (owned entirely by Domaine Michel Gros) planted to small amounts Chardonnay. Michel endearingly refers to this high-elevation site as his ‘baby’ because 40 years ago this hillside parcel was pure forestland. So, he and his father painstakingly cleared the seven hectare site and eventually planted three to Chardonnay, four to Pinot Noir. Note: The history of this site predates 40 years by a wide margin—nuns of a nearby Cistercian abbey were cultivating this exact hillside...in the 1100s!
Michel farms sustainably, with many organic practices in place, and harvests by hand. In the winery, grapes are de-stemmed and pressed before undergoing a brief maceration overnight. Fermentation starts in stainless steel and towards the final third of completion, the nascent wine is transferred into barrels, roughly 20% new, where it completes both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. After a lees stirring (bâtonnage) regimen, the wine then rests in barrel until the following summer. It is lightly filtered before bottling.
Line up a few $75-$100 white Burgundies, serve them blind to a group of discerning wine minds, and watch the magic happen. At this price, the amount of pleasure and profundity the 2015 “Fontaine Saint Martin” brings is stupendous. It pours a bright straw-yellow with platinum reflections, revealing impressive concentration after a few swirls. Ripe yellow apples, creamy hazelnut, and white pear dominate the senses at first, but once the wine settles into its own—about 30 minutes into a decant—myriad perfumes emerge: honeysuckle, Meyer lemon, crushed stones, dried pineapple, baking spice, and a touch of lees. The rich, layered palate is a constant balancing act of luxurious and vibrant, thanks to the warm blockbuster vintage of 2015 and beautifully preserved acidity that comes with high-altitude, hillside Chardonnay. Stylistically, this screams Premier Cru, and as far as ‘ageability’ goes, it checks off that box, too. Overall, you’re looking at one of the best undercover white Burgundy values on the market, and yet it flaunts the world-renowned Gros name. Good luck doing better than that for $42! This wine would be perfect with a whole roasted chicken, but I’m leaning more surf than turf this time of the year, so try out the attached shrimp dish with a saffron cream sauce. Enjoy!
