Volnay 1e cru ‘Brouillards‘ - Pinot noir (17) DM

Pinot Noir | 1er Cru wijngaard, 0,37 ha bezit | 50+ jaar oude stokken | hoog gelegen Cru, stenige bodem met luchtige klei laag | gerijpt voor 12-15 maanden op eikenhout, 10-25% nieuw | aardse stijl | zacht | gul | iets spicey | in zijn jeugd fijn en elegant op oudere leeftijd ontwikkeld de wijn zich prachtig 

Domaine de Montille 

Dit uit de 17 eeuw stammende wijngoed staat onder regie van Etienne en Alix de Montille. Het duo produceert wijnen uit iets meer dan 20 verschillende appelaties in de Bourgogne. Waar papa in de jaren '80 en '90 zich mocht rekenen tot een van de de allerbeste Pinot Noir producenten op deze aardbol pakken broer en zus Montille het veel breder aan. Zo werd Château de Puligny-Montrachet gekocht met een enorm sterk portfolio wijngaarden (vooral Chardonnay) en starte Alix haar eigen negocé (Maison Montille). Sinds onze start in de samenwerking proefde we in de oogst van 2014 wit en rood 2011 al een enorme positieve ontwikkeling door. Alix getrouwd met JM Roulot in Meursault richt zich steeds meer op de witte wijnen. 

Review

The 2016 Beaune 1er Cru Brouillard comes from a vineyard that had a tough run in recent years because of hail. The wine has a ripe and more opulent, vivacious bouquet than the Les Grèves, albeit without the same level of mineralité. The palate is well balanced, although it will take some time for the one-third new oak to be assimilated. Good depth and structure here, although I would like more personality and charm to develop on the finish.

I tasted the wines of Domaine de Montille at their base on the fringe of Meursault (for more background on the vintage, please refer to the introduction to Château du Puligny-Montrachet). Like many others in 2016, it was a series of ups and downs depending on how the vineyard was affected by frost, hail, oidium and so forth. Certainly there are some wines that just lacked the nerve and terroir expression that I have discerned in recent vintages, yet there are some really quite excellent wines made by Brian Sieve and his team, the standouts in Nuits-Saint-Georges Aux Thorey, Clos Vougeot, Pommard Les Rugiens and Les Pezerolles and in Volnay Taillepieds. - William Kelley 

Volnay is the stronghold of the family estate. This modestly-sized appellation of 207 hectares, entirely devoted to Pinot Noir, is nestled on the middle of the slopes and composed of a terroir dominated by clay, marl and limestone that long ago conquered the hearts of the dukes of Burgundy, who were proprietors of a portion of the vineyard.

Contrary to what one might think, the term "Brouillard" isn't linked to meteorology but rather to the old French word "breuil" or beuillât", or a small area where young or short trees grow.

The Premier Cru "Les Brouillards" is quite heterogeneous. The Domaine's tiny vineyard of 0.37 hectare is found in the top – and best – portion that runs alongside "Les Mitans", on a rocky and marl-dense soil with fine clay.

Like the Volnay Premier Cru "La Carelle sous Chapelle", "Les Brouillards" is a wine more focused on fruit than structure. Generous, accessible and elegant, it generally opens up earlier than other Premier Crus, between five and seven years. Montille