There is no address in Burgundy for which we have more affection than Domaine de Montille.

Anyone with a pumping heart was instantly charmed by the authenticity and humility of the late, great patriarch, Hubert de Montille. Unequivocal and confident in his ability to reveal greatness through transparency, it's difficult to distinguish whether we are talking about de Montille or the terroir of Volnay, and that is the mark of compelling Burgundy.

Hubert de Montille passed the reins at his famous domaine to his son Etienne about 20 years ago. He died about five years ago. Yet he is such a giant of a figure in Burgundy that it is still impossible to think about de Montille without thinking about Hubert. It helps that Hubert’s name remains on the label!

Hubert may be best known internationally for making hard-assed wines. He didn’t care what Robert Parker or anyone else said. He followed his own vision of Burgundy tradition, which included a fair bit of tannic extraction. His passion and determination earned him a starring role in Mondovino, the anti-globalization wine film by Jonathan Nossiter.

But Etienne changed things. He wanted more purity, less extraction. He was brought up with the likes of Christophe Roumier and other members of his generation, who wanted to emphasize fruit and terroir rather than structure. Almost right away, the style at de Montille changed.

People liked the wines, of course — they can show very well on release. But would they hold up the way his father’s legendary wines do? A recently consumed, and very beautiful, 2002 Pommard seemed to confirm the they age just fine! Will they go 40-50 years like his dad’s wines? Who knows, and who cares, other than your yet-to-be-born grandkids.

Professional Reviews