The de Montille family has been associated with Burgundy as important land and vineyard owners for several centuries but in 1947 when Hubert de Montille took over the family Domaine, he inherited just 2.5 hectares. His pursuit of a very successful legal career in Dijon enabled him to start to re-build the estate with purchases of vineyards in the 1960s in Volnay with the 1er Cru Mitans and in Pommard, with 1ers Crus Rugiens, Pézerolles and Grands Epenots. In 1993 the Domaine purchased just over a hectare of Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru les Caillerets which, at the time, was their first Chardonnay vineyard and that was followed by parcels of vines in Beaune (1er Cru les Aigrots and 1er Cru les Sizies), Corton Charlemagne and Corton. In 2004, they ventured further north, purchasing parcels in Nuits St Georges and Vosne Romanée Les Malconsorts including a little jewel of a vineyard which abuts La Tâche and which they named after Hubert’s late wife, Christianne. The Domaine now comprises just over 17 hectares.
Hubert’s winemaking style aimed for concentration and purity of fruit, with minimal use of new oak and minimal chaptalisation, a firm structure, and the ability to age. Whilst he was acknowledged as a maker of wine which had the purest of Pinot expression, his critics often described his wines as austere.
Etienne de Montille took over from his father in the late 1990s – still working in Paris, returning to Burgundy at the weekends and taking his annual leave for the harvest each year. He had already realised that in order to really understand and “read” his vineyards, to ensure the finest possible resultant wine, he needed to work in them for the whole growing cycle and so the decision was made to return to Volnay full-time in 2001, when he also took on the role of managing the Domaine du Château de Puligny Montrachet.
Etienne has introduced organic and bio-dynamic practices at the Domaine and worked on developing a more open and silky style in the wine, whilst retaining purity and ability to age. In 2003 he started a négociant business, Les Deux Montilles, with his sister Alix and together they have built up an interesting range of wines from the Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. Alix concentrates on the vinification of the white wines (for the Domaine and Les Deux Montilles) and Etienne the reds.
White Wines
Beaune 1er Cru Aigrots
Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru les Caillerets
Red Wines
Beaune 1er Cru les Sizies
Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds
Volnay 1er Cru les Mitans
Volnay 1er Cru les Champans
Pommard 1er Cru les Rugiens
Pommard 1er Cru les Pézerolles
Corton Clos du Roi
Nuits St Georges aux St Juliens
Vosne Romanée 1er Cru les Malconsorts
Vosne Romanée 1er Cru les Malconsorts Cuvée Christianne
For marketing queries, please contact Laura Taylor on 01353 721 608 or at laura@privatecellar.co.uk.
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