Volnay 1e cru ‘Taillepieds‘ - Pinot Noir DM (16)

Pinot Noir | 1er Cru wijngaard, 1,51 ha bezit | redelijk stijle wijngaard met bruine klei en gravel | gerijpt voor 12-15 maanden op eikenhout, 10-25% nieuw | aromatisch en puur | floraal | kruidnagel | wat meer tannine dan een wijn uit de Côte de Nuits | rijpt 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 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Les Taillepieds is also showing very well, bursting with expressive aromas of peonies, orange rind and wild berries, as well as hints of raw cocoa and sweet soil tones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with an ample core of succulent fruit underpinned by melting tannins and lively acids. While it's already deceptively charming, this also has the necessary depth for sustained and positive development in the cellar. From 80-year-old vines, this is one of de Montille's emblematic wines—and with good reason. 93/100 William Kelley

Winemaker Brian Sieve has excelled himself in 2018, producing a portfolio of elegant, precise wines that bear the stamp of the vintage without being dominated by it. As was the case last year, some wines were quite tight-knit and reserved when I tasted them in December, but they will flesh out and open up considerably by the time they're bottled. A number of 2017s, revisited in bottle, had done just that. As usual, comparatively long macerations with frequently significant percentages of whole cluster are the order of the day chez de Montille. And as I reported last year, following European Union legislation that prohibits one label from bearing the names of two appellations, the holdings of the Château de Puligny-Montrachet have now been incorporated into the Domaine de Montille, and they are accordingly reviewed here. There are no changes to the Maison de Montille négociant house, and those wines are reviewed under a separate heading in this report.