Founded in the mid-18th century, Domaine de Montille is one of the Côte d’Or’s most historic, family-operated estates and an early advocate of domaine-bottling. It is currently run by ninth-generation winemaker Etienne de Montille, who, alongside his father Hubert, has ensured the domaine’s reputation for quality endures today.
Prior to Hubert de Montille’s 50-year tenure, the family sold their vineyards in Musigny, Bonnes Mares and Chambolle-Musigny, shrinking Domaine de Montille from 12 to just 2.5 hectares. Hubert focused on restoring these vineyard holdings, a practice Etienne has since continued. As a result, the domaine now owns 37 hectares of vines across 35 appellations in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. These include some remarkable sites, such as Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru `Le Cailleret`, which sits next to ‘Le Montrachet’ Grand Cru, and Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru `Aux Malconsorts’, next to Domaine de la Romani-Conti’s Grand Cru ‘La Tâche’. Etienne was an early advocate of organic farming which he introduced to the domaine’s vineyards in 1995. Biodynamic practices followed in 2005, and the domaine received ‘Ecocert Bio’ certification in 2012.
Before taking over the domaine, Etienne studied oenology and worked as Hubert’s apprentice. Today, he works closely 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, yet still offer the impressive capacity for ageing for which Hubert was renowned.
There is no set winemaking recipe at Domaine de Montille. Instead, Etienne and Brian respond to the nuanced 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 to no bâtonnage) to add texture and complexity. As with the reds, new oak is used sparingly and usually comprises no more than 20 – 25% of the blend. The wines are aged on lees in barrels for 11 – 12 months, before ageing in tank for five to six months before bottling.
Though widely acclaimed for their 1er and Grand Cru wines, Domaine de Montille also produces remarkable Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge. Their Bourgogne Blanc is made by blending younger vines (10 to 20 years old) from their Puligny-Montrachet village sites and ‘Clos du Château de Puligny-Montrachet’. Fermented and then aged for 11 months in a combination of 228-litre and 600-litre French oak barrels, 20% new, this wine perfectly marries a crisp lemon fruit character with a lovely toastiness. The Bourgogne Rouge blends fruit from a Volnay parcel and rare Pinot Noir plots located in Puligny. 33% whole bunch in the ferment produces a delightfully elegant wine with crunchy red fruit character and velvety tannins.
This 0,85 hectare parcel of Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru "Le Cailleret" is located in the mid-slope, to the north and at the same altitude of the prestigious Montrachet, just below Chevalier-Montrachet and just above the Premier Cru "Les Pucelles". It is named "Le Cailleret" because of its stony and rocky soils. Vines were planted in 1993. The Domaine has practised organic viticulture since 1995 and was certified organic in 2012. Since 2005 it has also converted to biodynamic viticulture.
The 2022 season commenced with mild autumn and winter conditions, featuring above-average temperatures and reduced rainfall patterns. Temperature trends continued upward throughout the growing season, culminating in four distinct heatwave episodes that established new regional records. Despite the intense heat, strategically timed rainfall events proved sufficient to maintain optimal vine development conditions. Harvest operations commenced during the final week of August under ideal weather conditions. The resulting fruit displayed excellent health and condition, achieving ideal balance through the beneficial mid-August precipitation that preceded harvest.
Grapes were hand-picked and then pressed with a pneumatic press. After a short time settling, the wine is fermented in French lightly toasted oak barrels (a mix of 600 and 228 litres capacity), 30% of which were new. At the end of the malolactic fermentation, the wine is left to age in barrel. The first racking occurred after one year of wood aging. Then the wine was moved into stainless steel for 4 to 6 months to preserve freshness of flavours. The wine underwent a light fining and a light and delicate filtration before bottling.
On the nose, the wine shows aromas of citrus blossom and green mango with notes of beeswax. The palate is intense, mineral and complex with a vibrant and lingering finish.
