If you look at a map of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or—a.k.a. the “golden slope,” comprised of the Pinot Noir-heavy Côte de Nuits in the north and the Chardonnay-focused Côte de Beaune in the south—you’ll see that most of the high-end real estate is on the east side of the appellation.
But, as Burgundy lovers know well by now, the lower-rent western precincts are where the greatest values are found. If you’ve followed our offers for any length of time, you likely perk up at the sight of villages like Pernand-Vergelesses, Saint-Aubin, or today’s far-west-sider, Saint-Romain, because you know how often these places manage to outshine their east side counterparts. This is especially true when an ascendant talent like Étienne de Montille gets his hands on some well-placed, sustainably farmed vineyards in Saint-Romain, and is blessed with a warm, dry, “perfect” vintage like 2015 to boot. “Outer borough” address notwithstanding, this is a white Burgundy of unmistakable pedigree and precision, reminiscent of much-pricier bottlings from east side stalwarts such as Meursault and Puligny. With each successive vintage, the white wine-driven range of Maison de Montille takes another giant qualitative leap. This is mineral, expressive, ageworthy white Burgundy at a price that’s low even by west side standards. If you’ve got the space, I’d advise hoarding some—its best years are still ahead of it!
The De Montille siblings have been fast-rising stars in the wine world, having grown up under the tutelage of their legendary father, Hubert, who passed away in 2014. Hubert was the often-crotchety patriarch of the family’s Domaine de Montille, which he ran for years while simultaneously practicing law. In addition to continuing their father’s work at Domaine de Montille—which is best known for earthy, mineral reds from Volnay and Pommard—Étienne and Alix have branched out in many directions. Étienne spent time abroad (which included at least one California harvest and a stint bartending at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse), and returned to not only assist Hubert but take over winemaking at the Château de Puligny-Montrachet (which he ended up purchasing in 2012 with a group of investors). Alix, who was seen jousting with Hubert in the documentary film “Mondovino” (2004), was the original driving force behind Maison de Montille. Seeking out great (and sustainable) grape-growers throughout Burgundy, the pair assembled a juggernaut that stretches from Chablis to Mâcon—they now produce more than a dozen distinctive whites that are designed to offer great value at every price point.
The commune of Saint-Romain is the ultimate ‘off-the-beaten-path’ appellation, situated west of Auxey-Duresses—quite far from the main escarpment that runs through the Côte de Nuits/Beaune. Saint-Romain sits in a mountainous amphitheater, with vineyards arrayed in a jumble of exposures. The main distinction of Saint-Romain is altitude: Some of its vineyards reach to 400 meters, considerably higher than its more famous neighbors to the east, and these cooler sites—still containing the classic Burgundy mix of marl and limestone—produce very linear, fine-tuned, aromatic styles of Chardonnay. (Prior to gaining AOC status in 1947, Saint-Romain was part of the broader ‘Hautes Côtes de Beaune’ catchall AOC, which covered all the higher-elevation sites above the ‘main’ côte.)
Alix (who more recently has gravitated to the restaurant business) and Étienne are staunch advocates of organic and biodynamic farming (they converted Hubert to organic back in the ‘80s and to biodynamic in 2005). They don’t purchase grapes from non-sustainable sources, and have convinced many of their grower-partners to convert to organics. Today’s wine hails mostly from a lieu-dit (named vineyard) called “Jarrons” (80%), with the remainder coming from a site called “Sous Roches.” The vines are an average of about 30 years old and hand harvested. For this bottling, the grapes were fermented and aged in a mix of used 600- and 228-liter oak barrels, with the aging period lasting 12-14 months. After barrel aging, the wine is put into stainless steel tanks for a short period before bottling.
The 2015 vintage, as has been well-documented, produced wines of amplitude and generosity in their youth, and this one fits that mold while maintaining terrific tension and aromatic lift. The De Montille ‘house style’ favors electricity and purity, though this ’15 builds in an extra layer of texture. In the glass, it’s a deep straw-gold with hints of green at the rim, with aromas of yellow apple, white peach, raw hazelnut, white flowers, crushed gravel and a hint of lime blossom. On the palate, it is medium-bodied and as bright as the midday sun, with a lush wave of apple/pear fruit carried on a wave of refreshing acidity. If you’re drinking the wine now, decant it about 45 minutes before serving at around 50 degrees in Burgundy stems; otherwise, do not hesitate to lay this wine down. If stored well, it should age nicely over the next 5-7 years. This is textbook, profoundly mineral Burgundy Chardonnay that brings to mind some of the food pairings I might suggest for a Premier Cru Chablis: shellfish and crustaceans both seem like wise choices here. Check out the attached recipe for New Orleans-style broiled oysters—a perfect foil for this brisk, beautiful white. Enjoy!
