Tasted in Meursault with Tommy, whilst Brian Seive was preparing for the Paulée de Meursault, 22 November 2021.
Domaine de Montille
rue de But
21190 Puligny-Montrachet
Tel: +33 3 80 21 39 14
www.demontille.com
More reports for Domaine de Montille.
Tommy has been here for 5 years and is the assistant to Brian Seive – who was indisposed – ie preparing for the Paulée de Meursault! Hopefully, Brian didn’t come back sick!
Tommy on 2021:
“The bourgognes were okay but the hillsides were very badly affected by the frost – we were just thankful to have the volume that we did…”
Tommy on 2020:
“In 2020 the volumes were ‘correct’ – certainly down when compared to 2017 and 2018 but similar to 2019 – a little down but not too much. Actually, we’d expected a big red year but there was dehydration of the grapes in the Côte de Beaune – much less-so in Vosne – but essentially that was the reason for any losses.”
The wines…
The shortest tasting here for many years. The reds showed well but some were clearly a bit too young for tasting. The same for the whites – here (and a couple of other domaines) had wines that need plenty more elevage.
DIAM for all the whites here, NdTec for the reds. Started DIAM with a first cuvée in 2005, their Chateau de Puligny Rosé. Including the wines of Maison de Montille, the split of red to white is normally about 1:1 here but in 2020 there’s much more white. The bottling of these reds will start in January, then maybe the Volnays in March. It will mainly be a March bottling for whites… :
2020 Beaune 1er Sizies
A silky, easy, but pretty red nose. That’s a lovely open wine over the palate, quite juicy – delicious already!
2020 Beaune 1er Grèves
Aromatically, quite silky and fresh, here with just a hint of reduction. More direct and structural wine, open, slightly darker fruit. A decent width of finishing intensity – nice clean and pure flavour. That’s lovely…
2020 Volnay 1er Mitans
A broad and comforting nose, with slightly jammy but attractive fruit – you won’t note the 100% whole-cluster today. The whole-cluster is clear in the flavour, high toned, approaching but not quite delivering a little pyrazine.
2020 Volnay 1er Taillepieds
65 and 45-year-old vine, parcels
A smaller but still wide nose – the impression of faint spice and silky texture. Structural but open, mouth-watering and saline flavoured. The whole-clusters are centre-stage today but that has engaging energy and an almost fluid delivery of flavour. It will be excellent – as a minimum – but be patient…
1.02 hectares. Much more iron in the soil. A little older vines than Pezerolles, 50-years-old. Chunks of limestone here and a little chlorosis in the vines.
A darker fruit, nicely full but not overly rich. Vibrant – so fresh, so juicy – structural with a modest depth of tannin but with no grain. Fine, clean and mouth-watering finishing. This could be a great wine!
2020 Corton Clos du Roi
0.84 hectares of vines. Older vines – almost 85-year-old vines – with a high proportion of wc used.
Some more herb here, the whole-cluster more evident too. More density and quite cool fruited but here is a very lovely line of finishing flavour – rather elegant but lacking for nothing – that’s super.
2020 Vosne-Romanée 1er Malconsorts
This from top and bottom sections that are blended – one is horse worked – like the Christiane section.
A much more vertical nose – high tones – quite a lot of clusters showing – but quite deep too. This not all whole-cluster but the Christiane is this year. Swirling brings a much more attractive clarity of aroma. This is a little structural today but I have to say that the flavours are really beautiful and nicely complex.
2020 Vosne-Romanée 1er Malconsorts Cuvée Christianne
What this parcel doesn’t have, is the upper part of Malconsorts that is all on limestone – there’s more clay and silt here. 2016 was the first year where the vinification of the domaine’s two Malconsorts was not identical. Half a hectare, all whole-cluster for the fermentation.
Deeper coloured – a deeper and darker nose too. Here is a very different structure – more a wine of clay than the last which was airier and more direct – yet here is real class – a wine for keeping to allow it to properly open up…
Les Blancs – Domaine wines:
2020 Domaine Beaune 1er Aigrots
0.4 ha towards the bottom of the parcels
Airy, a little bit of rigour to this nose. In the mouth, this is reasonably attractive – a mineral side but also a mouth-watering aspect with sucrosity. It clearly needs more elevage today…
2020 Domaine Meursault St.Christophe
A cuvée name. 3 different: Narvaux, Castets and Petit Charrons.
A width of aroma, easier and more approachable than the Beaune, even with a hint of florals that are developing. Silkier, wider, much more sophisticated and elegant today. Lovely finishing – that’s very good!
Ooh! That’s an impressive nose – vibrant and pure – a beauty. Perhaps a hint subdued, but beautiful clarity and fluidity, gorgeously flavoured – great wine – maybe only excellent Perrières but if it grows a little more in the last part of elevage, no question, great…
2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Folatières
A faintly reductive nose, not the same clarity of aroma as the Perrières today. A little cushioned, the first palate lacking a little cut but slowly the flavour becomes more brilliantly open – so also needs a bit more elevage.
2020 Puligny-Montrachet 1er Caillerets
Fuller, a little oak cream on the nose. Full in the mouth too but here is an extra definition and sucrosity of flavour. Holding very well. Again a wine that’s not singing today but showing a disparate range of beautiful detail – just another where more elevage is required.
South-facing almost in the village of Aloxe – old vines that miss a little afternoon sun.
A narrow nose but with depth and a fine mineral impression – there’s definitely something that’s got my attention here. Beautiful over the palate, properly open, very silky, mineral but no hard edges. Gorgeous in the middle and finish – this is showing really well – a potentially great wine.