Domaine de Montille

The family's origins can be traced back to the middle of the 17th century at Créancey in the Auxois region, with the Lords of Commeau. Then comes the 18th century. 'The domaine pre-dates the revolution; it was created in the 1750s,' states Hubert de Montille. It was re-named de Montille after the union of Marie Eléonore Chauvelot de Chevannes and Étienne Joseph Marie Léonce Bizouard de Montille, the grandfather of Hubert, on April 9, 1863. 'Montille' as he was known at the time, divided his time between the domaines in Volnay and Créancey and the Société des Agriculteurs de France, of which he was one of the founders.

In 1983, after a year in the USA, Étienne started working at the domaine. He learned from his father and through his oenology studies until 1990, when he took over the vinifications. In 1995, he became co-manager and began to move the domaine towards organic farming. He also started to adapt the vinifications to his own way of thinking.

In 2001, he returned full-time to Burgundian soil to devote himself to the domaine and the Château de Puligny-Montrachet. He took full control and asserted his style and philosophy: biodynamic farming, whole cluster fermentation to add aromatics and silkier wines with less austerity. All the while, he remained true to the vision he learned by his father's side: authenticity, purity, elegance and balance.

In 2003, Alix also returned to her childhood love, Volnay. She and Étienne created 'Deux Montille Sœur-Frère', a negociant house devoted primarily to white wines. 'All our Sœur-Frère grapes are rigorously selected, harvested and vinified with the same know-how and philosophy as our domaine grapes,' explains Alix. Since 2006 she has taken over responsibility for the domaine's whites, notably the precious Puligny-Montrachet Cailleret Premier Cru and Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru. With Étienne watching over the reds and Alix the whites, the family history will continue.

In 2003, Étienne began to enlarge the domaine with exceptional vineyards and then in 2005 brought back into the fold some Clos Vougeot from the Côte de Nuit and a parcel just next to la Tâche in Vosne-Romanée "Les Malconsorts"

In 2011, the domaine counted 20 hectares of vines, of which 75% were Premiers or Grands Crus from both Côtes.