2014 Maison de Montille Montagny 1er Cru

Maison de Montille is a Cote de Beaune negociant founded and run by the brother/sister team of Etienne and Alix de Montille, who with their father Hubert also own and operate the well-regarded Domaine de Montille. The negociant business was started in 2003 and is run by Alix, who is responsible for the elevage of the cuvees, which are made in cellars in Meursault. Clive Coates has written that “I like the (Les Deux Montilles) wines very much indeed.”

Côte Chalonnaise is just south of Côte de Beaune, but a million miles away in terms of its recognition as a part of Burgundy. Writer Clive Coates has called Côte Chalonnaise a “well-known forgotten area…While everyone acknowledges that it is worth investigating, few merchants bother to go prospecting.” Part of the recognition problem is that until 1990 there was no Côte Chalonnaise appellation for generic wines. Today there is a Bourgogne-Côte Chalonnaise appellation that covers parts of 44 villages. There are also five villages with AOC status and many Premier Cru vineyards, though no Grand Crus. The villages are Rully, Mercurey, Givry, Montagny and Bouzeron. Bouzeron is noteworthy because its white wines are made from the Aligoté grape rather than Chardonnay. The other villages produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Côte Chalonnaise has about 300 acres of vineyards.

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.