Grower Website De Montille Region: France - Burgundy

The story of Domaine de Montille takes you back in time. The past: its roots. The present: the new generation. A balance between tradition, audacity and modernity. The de Montille family tree traces to the middle of 17th century in Créancey, in Auxois, with the Lords of Commeau. Founded in the 1730s, the estate was renamed Domaine de Montille following the union of Étienne Joseph Marie Léonce Bizouard de Montille, the great-grandfather of today’s Etienne de Montille, to Marie Eléonore Chauvelot de Chevannes on April 9, 1863. Then twenty hectares of magnificent terroirs, planted with pinot noir in the Côte de Beaune but also in the Côte de Nuit with Musigny, Bonnes Mares and Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Amoureuses. Phylloxera precipitated a reduction to three hectares, centered in Volnay.

The 1950s marked a turning point in the history of the estate. Hubert de Montille placed high hopes in the marvels of the mosaic of Burgundy terroirs. He and his son, Etienne de Montille, current owner of De Montille, devoted both their lives to reconstructing and expanding the family vineyards, plot after plot. First in Volnay and Pommard, then in Vosne-Romanée, Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, and many more places. Hubert made only wines from his own vines, embodying his strong character, and his unshakable belief in terroir.

For the past two decades, Etienne de Montille has been at the helm of De Montille, orchestrating its journey with visionary zeal and unwavering commitment.

Etienne successfully cemented and expanded the global reputation of the estate, excelling not only in red wines but also in whites. Following his father’s legacy, he orchestrated significant acquisitions in 2005 including parts of the Thomas-Molliard estate, and in 2012 procuring approximately fifteen hectares of esteemed vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault, and other illustrious villages of the Côte de Beaune. The wines imported by The Sorting Table are vinified under rabbinical supervision and are Certified Kosher by KLBD.

The winery today covers 91.4 acres/37 hectares in total, predominantly composed of Premiers and Grands Crus, located on the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits. In addition to his commitment to natural viticulture, one of Etienne’s greatest accomplishments has been the expansion of the De Montille holdings to include some of the Cote d’Or’s greatest terroirs, such as parts of the Thomas-Moillard estate in 2005 (with Domaine Dujac), including parcels in Vosne-Romanée.

The vineyards have been farmed organically since 1995 (certified in France by EcoCert) and biodynamically since 2005.

The winemaking at De Montille has evolved over the years, and the resulting wines are less austere in their youth than in the earlier years of the domaine.  Today’s wines are fresh and elegant with terroir-transparency and a structure that is built to last. All grapes are hand harvested and fermented using native yeasts.

Each vintage receives its own winemaking regimen that corresponds to that vintage’s conditions. Reds often include whole cluster though occasionally some wines are de-stemmed. Macerations last 12 to 16 days, with manual punchdowns usually twice a day (versus 6-8 times a day in the early years of the domaine!). New wood is kept to a minimum, usually 30% or less, except for the very top cuvées that might be 40-50%.

On the white side, grapes tend to be picked early for energy and freshness, and then are often aged in a mix of 228- and 600-liter barrels (with little or no batonnage). Again, new oak is judicious, usually no more than 20-25%. The wines imported by The Sorting Table are vinified under rabbinical supervision after training with winemakers Brian Sieve and Jacques Montagnon, and are Certified Kosher by KLBD.