Domaine Gabriel et Paul Jouard may not enjoy the headline status of some peers in Chassagne-Montrachet, but their wines — particularly the Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru — are increasingly commanding quiet respect among Burgundy traditionalists. The family’s restrained, ripe and terroir-first approach delivers a classically poised expression of thir hallowed sites.
The Batard comes from from their north–south-oriented rows in , situated adjacent to Montrachet, just below the narrow road dividing Montrachet itself and Bâtard Montrachet.
The wines are built on texture and length: a long, tapering finish reveals a style defined by classicism, not showmanship. In fact on initial tasting the 2021 we tasted this week is quite tight and not at all showing the 100% new oak (it's only 1 barrel production). The richness is subtle, the oak a background note, and the tension carries it forward. Jouard’s wines offer richness, coiled tension and a slightly reticent old-school opulence. That it flies under the radar only strengthens its appeal — offering serious white Burgundy, from Grand Cru terroir, at a fraction of the price commanded by more famous names.
