DOMAINE DE MONTILLE
BURGUNDY, FRANCE 2022
Today is a rare opportunity of a day: a chance to access one of Burgundy's benchmark estates across the extent of their extraordinary holdings, from accessible village and 1er Cru bottlings to blue-chip Grand Crus.
You almost never see these incredible wines, because they’re made in such minuscule quantities and what precious little is produced seldom finds its way across the pond.
And folks, when we say minuscule quantities, we’re not kidding.
Montille owns and farm roughly 1/4 of an acre of Chevalier-Montrachet, and they surely make the most of it — it’s one of the great mysteries of wine that they’re able to produce a mighty expression like this from such tiny yields. Their Corton-Charlemagne is, likewise, sourced from a similarly tiny parcel. Bottles of it are scarce; we’re fortunate to have snared the 12 that we did.
And to repeat, because it cannot be emphasized enough: you rarely see these wines in the country.
Scarcity, purity, pedigree … what else could you want?
Well, how about a great vintage: 2022 was excellent across the whole of Burgundy and particularly thrilling for whites, the kind of year that erases all arguments. Neal Martin of Vinous captured it perfectly when he wrote: these are "wines that remind you why you fell in love in the first place.”
And that pretty well sums up our experience tasting through this glorious portfolio.
There are few estates in the world where the signature is so distinct that you would know the maker, or have a pretty darned good guess, from a brown-bagged sip, and Montille is one.
It's known, first and foremost, as a Beaune house, and the reds here are classic examples of what that means: red-fruited and juicy, with a savory undertow, tannins turned soft and round, and the kind of acidity that holds everything in a kind of beautiful tension. The white wines run the other direction; they're high-toned, linear, and shot through with a wonderfully mineral character.
Two wines here are simply not to be missed. The Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts comes from a parcel sitting directly beside La Tâche, which is to say: one of the greatest vineyards in all of Burgundy; it earned 95 points from Decanter (though the prose is more lavish in its praise than that number would suggest) and it tastes unmistakably of its rarefied address. And the Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru, which, besides being one of the finest Corton-Charlemagnes in the world, may be the single best value in Grand Cru white Burgundy.
This remains, as ever, a proud family operation. Étienne de Montille owns and runs the estate. His sister Alix works alongside him, overseeing the vinification of the whites. And Étienne's son, Louis, recently joined the house full-time, making this a three-generation operation.
Étienne’s father, Hubert, set all this in motion. His is a classic Burgundian story, in being a story of a man who refuses to do the sensible thing.
In 1947, Hubert de Montille inherited what was left of the family holdings: two and a half hectares of limestone in Volnay. He was 17. Rather than sell his fruit to the négociants who dominated post-war Burgundy, which would have been the safe thing to do and maybe even the smart thing to do, he decided to bottle his own ... all while working long days as a prosecutor in Dijon.
From the start, his wines cut a distinct profile. They were austere, razor-sharp, and minerally. It was not long before the wine world eventually caught on, and this young upstart with the keen palate vaulted to the head of the class in Burgundy.
Hubert died in 2014, having lived long enough to see the postage stamp of limestone he'd been handed at seventeen turn into one of the most admired estates on the Côte d'Or.
Few people are around from that time who remember, but it’s generally believed that the wines that made Hubert’s reputation are not so different from the wines of today — that they are just as finely etched, just as structured and elegant … and just as extraordinary.
We can’t wait for you to try them for yourself.
As we always say, once you try Domaine de Montille, you’re in for life.
Secure your bottles and cases today of these marvelous and generous wines.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Spring 2027. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in CA, KS, MI, NJ, NY, OK, or TN. This offer will expire on Wednesday, August 12th, 2026.