Siblings Alix and Etienne de Montille are vital members of Burgundy’s younger generation to whom the torch has now been passed. They are currently involved with three significant Burgundian enterprises, beginning with their home estate, the Domaine de Montille located in Volnay, which has been within the family for about 300 years. Since 1947, under the impassioned leadership of their father Hubert de Montille, the estate has been dedicated to the production of very fine, genuine and age-worthy Burgundy. Though they have already begun to establish their own distinct paths, his two children are carrying forward many of their father’s ideals. Etienne, who started to make wine with him in 1983, began managing the estate in 1995 with the help of his mother. In 2002 Etienne, at the time a Parisian lawyer by profession, decided to return full time to Burgundy. Today he shares ownership and management of the Domaine with his sister Alix who is responsible for its white wines. Though the size is still quite small, the vineyards of Domaine de Montille are located in prime areas: 0.8 ha in Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret; 3 ha in Volnay 1er Cru (Champans, Mitans, Taillepieds - about 0.70 ha each, and smaller holdings in Carelles and Brouillards); 2.3 ha in Pommard 1er Cru (Pezerolles and Rugiens – about 1 ha each, and 0.25 ha in Grands Epenots); 0.8 ha of Bourgogne and 0.2 ha of Volnay village. The acquisition in 2003 of 2.2 ha in two vineyards located in the prime areas of Beaune 1er Cru Les Sizies (1.5 ha) and Beaune 1er Cru Les Perrieres (0.7 ha) complemented the array of terroirs. Subsequent additions include plots in the neighboring Grand Cru Corton and, thanks to the purchase in 2005 of a range of vineyards belonging to Thomas-Moillard, also extend north into the Cotes de Nuits. The de Montille approach aims at producing hand-crafted classical and authentic Burgundy that expresses the subtle but fabulous nuances in personality of their different terroirs. Various fashionable trends have been deliberately avoided as with any excess of technology that conceals or flattens the identity of the wines. Year after year the commitment is to move forward in an attempt to produce pure, elegant, naturally balanced, sappy, vibrant wines that develop a unique harmony and complexity with age. Recent vintages show the intention to make wine that is more accessible when young without departing from the family’s traditional convictions. The Domaine moved to organic farming in 1995 and more recently to bio-dynamic farming. Total respect of the raw material from grapes to wine is key, with every effort made to produce the ripest, most balanced and healthiest fruit. Winemaking then consists of understanding the characteristics of the vintage and the identity of the various terroirs and working accordingly with minimal intervention. Technology is only valued if it contributes to bringing out the authentic expression of the wines. A reasonable percentage of new oak is used (about 20 to 30%). The wines are given long aging, late malolactic fermentation and are often bottled without filtration or fining. These wines are made with an artisanal approach and could not be more different than those that are mass produced.
