- Description
- Producer
- Vineyards
- Vintage
- Vinification
- Tasting Notes & Technical Details
- Reviews
Founded in the mid-18th century, this family-owned estate is one of the most historic in the Côte d’Or, with ninth generation Etienne de Montille now at its helm. Etienne inherited this responsibility from his late father, Hubert, who took over the domaine when it had shrunk from 12 to just 2.5 hectares. Previously, the family had sold off vineyards in Musigny, Bonnes Mares and Chambolle-Musigny. Hubert’s tenure lasted a staggering 50 years. While 90% of the region’s production was sold to négociants, he gained fame for his estate-bottled, long-lived and characterful wines.
Following family tradition, Etienne trained as a lawyer, but was drawn back to Volnay where he invested in rebuilding the estate. He was a savvy buyer and the domaine now boasts 37 hectares across 35 separate appellations throughout the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, making it one of the most enviable vineyard holdings in the Côte d’Or.
Highlights of early acquisitions include Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru `Le Cailleret` in 1993, the estate’s first Chardonnay vineyard and neighbour of Montrachet Grand Cru, and Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru `Aux Malconsorts` in 2005, which neighbours the Grand Cru of La Tâche. Later purchases include Grand Cru parcels of Corton-Charlemagne, Clos de Vougeot and Corton Clos du Roi, alongside Premier Cru parcels of Puligny-Montrachet’s `Les Folatières` and Meursault’s `Les Porusots`, which joined the de Montille roster with Etienne’s purchase of Château de Puligny-Montrachet. The Château de Puligny acquisition in 2012 was a turning point for the domaine, enabling it to become a major player in both red and white wine production throughout the Côte d’Or.
Etienne was an early advocate of organic farming when, in 1995, he introduced these principles in the estate’s vineyards. Biodynamic practices followed in 2005, and the domaine received ‘Ecocert Bio’ certification in 2012.
Winemaking at de Montille has evolved over the years. Etienne, having studied oenology and worked as Hubert’s apprentice, sought a more progressive approach to vinification than his father’s traditional methods. Gradually, Hubert allowed his son more control and Etienne’s influence on the winemaking became evident from the late 1990s.
Today, Etienne works with American-born chef de cave Brian Sieve, who has been with the domaine for over a decade. Together they make wines that are aromatic, supple and approachable in their youth, but still offer the impressive capacity for ageing for which Hubert was renowned.
There is no recipe to the winemaking here, which responds to the unique characteristics of each vintage. In the red wines, this usually translates to whole-bunch fermentation, ranging from 50% to 100%, though destemming is used when deemed preferable. Macerations last 12 – 16 days, with twice-daily punch downs and judicious use of new French oak, usually 30% or less. In the best vintages, up to 50% new oak is used for the top cuvées.
For the white wines, grapes tend to be picked early to preserve freshness. Ageing takes place in a mix of 228 and 600-litre oak barrels (with little or no bâtonnage) to add texture and complexity. As with the reds, new oak is used sparingly, usually no more than 20 – 25%. The wines are aged on lees in barrels for 11 – 12 months, then remain in tank for 5 – 6 months before bottling.
Clos-Vougeot was founded around 1150 by Cistercien monks, it covers a block of 50 hectares of vines and stands out for its location, history and great wines. Today approximately 80 owners share this prestigious vineyard. De Montille's 0.29 hectares parcel is on the top portion of the section called "Dix Journaux" (dividing the Clos into thirds) and benefits from a good altitude. The wine is elegant rather than powerful. This finesse is given by the force of the terroir of the upper part of Clos-Vougeot. The Domaine has practised organic viticulture since 1995 and was certified organic in 2012. Since 2005 it has also converted to biodynamic viticulture.
The 2019 vintage started with an extremely mild winter, except for lower temperatures in the end of January and beginning of February. Spring frosts led to uneven flowering and irregular fruit set, but by July and August temperatures had become hot and dry, increasing concentration levels in the grapes. The summer months were very dry, and the yields were lower than usual due to the lack of water in the vineyards. However, this also resulted in smaller healthy berries and highly concentrated aromas and flavours. The quality of the Pinot Noir was fantastic, with thicker skins, which led to silkier tannins. Harvest started the 9th of September.
Grapes were hand picked and selected both in the vineyard and at the cellar. The wine was vinified using 50% of whole bunch. Ageing took place in barrel (45% of new oak) for 8 months and then the wine was assembled and moved into stainless steel. Sulfur were added at bottling and not during vinification. The philosophy is to produce wines with great aromatic, purity, balance, and elegance rather than with power and extraction. The Domaine's current style remains faithful to Hubert's natural and idealistic approach. However, Etienne, Hubert’s son, is giving the wines greater aromatic expression and silkier textures, so that they can be drank earlier, without compromising their ability to age.
On the nose, the wine has aromas of plums and dark chocolate. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied with rich tannins.
ABV 13%
10% off when you buy 6 bottles or 15% off when you buy 12 bottles
100% Bio-dynamic and organic
Recyclable packaging
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- Description
- Producer
- Vineyards
- Vintage
- Vinification
- Tasting Notes & Technical Details
- Reviews
Founded in the mid-18th century, this family-owned estate is one of the most historic in the Côte d’Or, with ninth generation Etienne de Montille now at its helm. Etienne inherited this responsibility from his late father, Hubert, who took over the domaine when it had shrunk from 12 to just 2.5 hectares. Previously, the family had sold off vineyards in Musigny, Bonnes Mares and Chambolle-Musigny. Hubert’s tenure lasted a staggering 50 years. While 90% of the region’s production was sold to négociants, he gained fame for his estate-bottled, long-lived and characterful wines.
Following family tradition, Etienne trained as a lawyer, but was drawn back to Volnay where he invested in rebuilding the estate. He was a savvy buyer and the domaine now boasts 37 hectares across 35 separate appellations throughout the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, making it one of the most enviable vineyard holdings in the Côte d’Or.
Highlights of early acquisitions include Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru `Le Cailleret` in 1993, the estate’s first Chardonnay vineyard and neighbour of Montrachet Grand Cru, and Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru `Aux Malconsorts` in 2005, which neighbours the Grand Cru of La Tâche. Later purchases include Grand Cru parcels of Corton-Charlemagne, Clos de Vougeot and Corton Clos du Roi, alongside Premier Cru parcels of Puligny-Montrachet’s `Les Folatières` and Meursault’s `Les Porusots`, which joined the de Montille roster with Etienne’s purchase of Château de Puligny-Montrachet. The Château de Puligny acquisition in 2012 was a turning point for the domaine, enabling it to become a major player in both red and white wine production throughout the Côte d’Or.
Etienne was an early advocate of organic farming when, in 1995, he introduced these principles in the estate’s vineyards. Biodynamic practices followed in 2005, and the domaine received ‘Ecocert Bio’ certification in 2012.
Winemaking at de Montille has evolved over the years. Etienne, having studied oenology and worked as Hubert’s apprentice, sought a more progressive approach to vinification than his father’s traditional methods. Gradually, Hubert allowed his son more control and Etienne’s influence on the winemaking became evident from the late 1990s.
Today, Etienne works with American-born chef de cave Brian Sieve, who has been with the domaine for over a decade. Together they make wines that are aromatic, supple and approachable in their youth, but still offer the impressive capacity for ageing for which Hubert was renowned.
There is no recipe to the winemaking here, which responds to the unique characteristics of each vintage. In the red wines, this usually translates to whole-bunch fermentation, ranging from 50% to 100%, though destemming is used when deemed preferable. Macerations last 12 – 16 days, with twice-daily punch downs and judicious use of new French oak, usually 30% or less. In the best vintages, up to 50% new oak is used for the top cuvées.
For the white wines, grapes tend to be picked early to preserve freshness. Ageing takes place in a mix of 228 and 600-litre oak barrels (with little or no bâtonnage) to add texture and complexity. As with the reds, new oak is used sparingly, usually no more than 20 – 25%. The wines are aged on lees in barrels for 11 – 12 months, then remain in tank for 5 – 6 months before bottling.
Clos-Vougeot was founded around 1150 by Cistercien monks, it covers a block of 50 hectares of vines and stands out for its location, history and great wines. Today approximately 80 owners share this prestigious vineyard. De Montille's 0.29 hectares parcel is on the top portion of the section called "Dix Journaux" (dividing the Clos into thirds) and benefits from a good altitude. The wine is elegant rather than powerful. This finesse is given by the force of the terroir of the upper part of Clos-Vougeot. The Domaine has practised organic viticulture since 1995 and was certified organic in 2012. Since 2005 it has also converted to biodynamic viticulture.
The 2019 vintage started with an extremely mild winter, except for lower temperatures in the end of January and beginning of February. Spring frosts led to uneven flowering and irregular fruit set, but by July and August temperatures had become hot and dry, increasing concentration levels in the grapes. The summer months were very dry, and the yields were lower than usual due to the lack of water in the vineyards. However, this also resulted in smaller healthy berries and highly concentrated aromas and flavours. The quality of the Pinot Noir was fantastic, with thicker skins, which led to silkier tannins. Harvest started the 9th of September.
Grapes were hand picked and selected both in the vineyard and at the cellar. The wine was vinified using 50% of whole bunch. Ageing took place in barrel (45% of new oak) for 8 months and then the wine was assembled and moved into stainless steel. Sulfur were added at bottling and not during vinification. The philosophy is to produce wines with great aromatic, purity, balance, and elegance rather than with power and extraction. The Domaine's current style remains faithful to Hubert's natural and idealistic approach. However, Etienne, Hubert’s son, is giving the wines greater aromatic expression and silkier textures, so that they can be drank earlier, without compromising their ability to age.
On the nose, the wine has aromas of plums and dark chocolate. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied with rich tannins.
ABV 13%
Always organic
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1,000’s of hours are spent researching, searching, tasting and comparing our organic and Bio-dynamic wine selection. We always consider our customers needs, we listen to feedback and always endeavour to match our wines to our customers tastes. Our wines are carefully chosen and presented thoughtfully.
