The saga of a Burgundian monument over the centuries
Nestled in Volnay, in the heart of the Côte de Beaune, the Domaine de Montille today manages a 37-hectare vineyard, mostly planted with Premiers Crus and Grands Crus de Bourgogne. Although its vineyards are mainly concentrated on the Côte de Beaune, the estate also cultivates a few vines in the Côte de Nuits, covering almost twenty appellations.
At the end of the XIXᵉ century, the Domaine de Montille was hit hard by the devastating impact of phylloxera, which turned the entire European winegrowing landscape upside down in just a few years. Several prestigious plots were sold off as part of economic arbitration, leading to a slow shrinkage of the vineyard. By the 1950s, the wine estate had shrunk to just three hectares, mainly in Volnay, around the family home.
It was against this backdrop of a vineyard heritage reduced to its simplest expression thatHubert de Montille, in 1947, signed his first grape harvest and began the slow rebirth of the wine estate. Production was no longer sold to the wine trade, but bottled at the wine estate. From plot acquisition to successive harvests, he gradually established himself as one of the most demanding defenders of Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits terroirs, favoring elegance and straightforwardness over standardization. His patient, rigorous work has helped to restore the estate to its former glory, while inspiring a new generation of Burgundy winemakers to value their terroirs and produce wines of authentic expression and ageing potential.
Etienne de Montille joined his father in 1983, before gradually taking over management of the estate from 1995, launching the transition to organic viticulture. He began converting to biodynamic viticulture in 2005, obtaining certification in 2012.
Etienne de Montille, between heritage and innovation
A convinced biodynamist, Etienne de Montille strives to reveal the pure expression of terroirs, while maintaining natural finesse and elegance. Under his direction, the style of his wines has evolved from the sometimes austere tannins of his father's reds to a more velvety, precise expression, seeking to reveal the natural elegance of each terroir in a framework conducive to long ageing. His white wines are now considered to be among the finest in the Côte de Beaune, making a major contribution to the contemporary reputation of the wine estate.
Étienne de Montille also strengthens the domaine's presence on Burgundy's finest climats, in both Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits. His landmark acquisitions include Puligny Montrachet Le Cailleret, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, and parcels of Vosne Romanée Les Malconsorts, Clos de Vougeot and Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru.
A traveler at heart, in 2016 he launched the Racines Wines project in California, before breaking new ground in 2019 by planting vines in Hokkaido, Japan. Two bold adventures that extend his ambition to transmit the values of Burgundy's terroir beyond its borders.
Viticulture inspired by life
Domaine de Montille benefits from a unique heritage, rooted in some of Burgundy's most prestigious terroirs. The clay-limestone soils, some of which are marly, are subject to minute variations from one climate to the next, which the wine estate strives to reveal in each of its crus. This geological mosaic provides the raw material needed to produce wines that are both rich in meaning and deeply rooted in their origins.
For Etienne de Montille, vine-growing is based on a constant quest for balance and authenticity. Deep respect for natural cycles, meticulous work on the soil and total exclusion of synthetic chemical treatments: biodynamic viticulture, far from being a mere fad, is here a commitment to revealing the terroir in its purest expression, promoting soil vitality and biodiversity. In the vineyards, pruning is adapted to each plot and grape variety, while harvesting is exclusively by hand, guaranteeing precise selection of fully ripe grapes, an essential condition for whole-bunch winemaking.
This attention to the vines continues in the cellars, where Brian Sieve strives to bring out the purest expression of the terroirs. Fermentation takes place naturally, without yeast, in wooden or stainless steel vats, depending on grape variety and climate. Careful ageing combines the use of French oak barrels, including a variable proportion of new barrels, and precise monitoring of maturation. The duration of ageing varies, but is generally long, enabling the wines to acquire complexity, depth and elegance. These technical choices are in line with Domaine de Montille's determination to preserve the aromatic purity and harmonious structure of each cuvée, limiting intervention to what is strictly necessary to allow the full expression of the terroir.
A signature of excellence
Domaine de Montille embodies the perfect blend of tradition and modernity in the heart of Burgundy. Under the impetus ofEtienne de Montille, it has built its reputation by producing wines of renown, faithfully reflecting the richness and complexity of emblematic terroirs such as Volnay, Meursault and Puligny Montrachet.
Thanks to a rigorous, respectful approach, the wine estate's flagship cuvées such as Puligny Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret, Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières, Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Les Malconsorts and the prestigious Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru and Chevalier Montrachet Grand Cru demonstrate a subtle balance between elegance, finesse and power. An icon of passion and excellence.
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