Domaine de Montille

VOLNAY, BURGUNDY · CERTIFIED ORGANIC & BIODYNAMIC · EST. 1730

Few names in Burgundy carry as much weight as de Montille. The family has been farming the Côte d'Or since the 1730s — nine generations of vignerons rooted in Volnay, one of Burgundy's most celebrated villages for Pinot Noir.

The modern era of the domaine begins with Hubert de Montille, who took over in 1947 when the estate had been reduced to just 2.5 hectares. A lawyer by training who refused to compromise his wines for the market, Hubert became a quiet legend — making structured, terroir-driven Burgundies at a time when 90% of the region was selling out to négociants. His wines were built to age, and age they did.

His son Étienne and daughter Alix now lead the domaine, having inherited both the parcels and the philosophy. In 1995 they began converting to organic farming. By 2005 they introduced biodynamic principles. By 2012 they earned official organic certification. Today, with American winemaker Brian Sieve as Chef de Cave, the estate farms 35 hectares across 20 appellations — 75% of it in premier and grand cru vineyards.

The de Montille style is not about power or extraction. It is about finesse, purity, and patience. Low alcohol, restrained oak (never more than 25% new), long macerations, and whole-cluster fermentation where the vintage allows. These are wines that reward cellaring — but also seduce on release if you know what you're looking for.

"We want to erase the errors of progress." — Domaine de Montille