A medium gold colour. The nose gathers depth with time, with well integrated oak, faint petrolly notes and agrumes. Good acidity and a mildly oaky palate that is concentrated but very tight and initially a little flat in the mid-palate – certainly would benefit from another 2 or 3 years wait, the mid-palate really fills out with aeration. Super length that sneaks up on you. For drinking today there’s more fun to be found from J-M Boillots village Puligny, but for the long term, this is the wine I’d really like to have in my cellar.
de Montille (Hubert)
1997 de Montille (Hubert) Bourgogne
A wine that never ceases to surprise me. Medium cherry red still – it could easily be from 2000. The nose speaks of Volnay, it’s soft and welcoming with smooth and primary red cherry and raspberry. Despite only 12% alcohol the palate is nicely fat with strong cherry fruit and very good acidity. Whilst the tannins are still a little astringent, they’ve lost the harsh note they had two years ago. Medium length, but frankly if this was re-labelled as 1er Cru Volnay under a négociant name (that you never heard of) you probably wouldn’t be disappointed! Forget the Bourgogne label, this is better than many village Volnays from 1999 – can you buy better Bourgogne?
1997 de Montille (Hubert) Bourgogne Rouge
Mid brick colour. Nose starts with the merest whiff of toasty oak, but disappears after only 5 minutes (good !), leaving a beautiful Volnay nose – wow and from a bourgogne rouge too! Good acidity, not yet softened tannins and a lovely follow-through. Really excellent and almost ready. Whilst expensive for what it is (£11) I’ve had many Volnays less good than this one.