A worrisome 2005 Montille?

S

Saina Nieminen

Saina Nieminen
So what is going at the Montilles? I recently tasted a Deux Montille Meursault "Casse Tte" 2005 (note here) which was nice despite a slight worry about obvious oak at first.

I was under the impression that Deux Montille were making a style that De Montille was supposed to be making (high acid/tannin, low alcohol, little or no new oak notes) - and this wine did seem like that.

But tonight I got to try Domaine de Montille Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Clos des Grandes Vignes" 2005 which was rather different from the style I was expecting. 13,5% abv (first warning, I suppose), toasty, vanillary and hot chocolate -like oak on the nose, a liqueur-like sweetness and intensity; yet it also had lift and obvious pinosity, and fleeting hints of the steely and vegetal and mineral style I have loved in the previous Montilles. Plump fruit, moderate structure - nothing like the 2002 and earlier I have tried - but more a fruit and especially oak forward wine.

This seemed like the opposite of what I was hoping to taste from this property.

Next week a Montille Pommard Grands Epenots 2005 will become available here - any chance that might be to my taste or should I pass?
 
My experience has been that Deux Montille wines are far, far more consensual (oaked, easily palate-flattering) than the domain.

Never have had the new NSG. In theory, regular domain reds should still be on the austere (version Etienne, not Hubert, that said) side.

Drinking a 2005 now seems folly. Purchasing, eh; not my style, but if you like it and are planning on a long wait, why not?
 
I was very disappointed in the '05 de Montille reds. I found them quite oaky and "New world" in the narrow and pejorative sense.
 
That is disturbing.

My experience with Deux Montille has been the same as Sharon's (although the little white wines were very good).

Funny thing is that the reds that I've had from Chateau Puligny were in the "classic" de Montille style.

I was bummed about missing out on 2005 de Montille, but they were very expensive and I didn't want the new stuff (e.g. Beaune 1ers and NSG 1er).

I don't hate on oak, but I'm not a huge fan of fat. I'm not so bummed now.
 
VLM, agree - the Deux Montille Saint-Romain was my favorite of their lineup.

Pricing is wack for both the negoce and the domain, though.
 
was cheap. Got the Bourgogne Rouge for $19, NSG 1er for $45.

Have you tried them? I liked them. Didn't really buy for my cellar, but liked them well enough.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
I think I've missed a step. Chteau de Puligny? How is it involved?
Click to expand...
Chteau de Puligny-Montrachet is owned by BNP (along with Domaine de l'Arlot and Pinault's new entry, it is one of only three Burgundy estates with large non-wine corporate ownership that I know of. This situation is very different from Bordeaux, where large corporate ownership abounds). Anyway, for years, CdPM made mediocre wine. About 7-8 years ago, they hired Etienne de Montille (who, incidentally, used to work for BNP) to run the estate. The wines have improved greatly under Etienne and should continue to improve with the work he is doing in the vineyards (which includes going bio-bio) and the new cellar.
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
I think I've missed a step. Chteau de Puligny? How is it involved?
Click to expand...
Chteau de Puligny-Montrachet is owned by BNP (along with Domaine de l'Arlot and Pinault's new entry, it is one of only three Burgundy estates with large non-wine corporate ownership that I know of. This situation is very different from Bordeaux, where large corporate ownership abounds). Anyway, for years, CdPM made mediocre wine. About 7-8 years ago, they hired Etienne de Montille (who, incidentally, used to work for BNP) to run the estate. The wines have improved greatly under Etienne and should continue to improve with the work he is doing in the vineyards (which includes going bio-bio) and the new cellar.
Click to expand...

What Claude said, except I didn't know Etienne worked for BNP.
 
originally posted by Yixin:
Ch. de PulignyDoesn't Etienne have a minority stake?
Click to expand...
I think he may well have one. De Smet had one in Domaine de l'Arlot while he was there (I don't know whether he had to sell it back when he left).
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
I think I've missed a step. Chteau de Puligny? How is it involved?
Click to expand...
Chteau de Puligny-Montrachet is owned by BNP (along with Domaine de l'Arlot and Pinault's new entry, it is one of only three Burgundy estates with large non-wine corporate ownership that I know of. This situation is very different from Bordeaux, where large corporate ownership abounds). Anyway, for years, CdPM made mediocre wine. About 7-8 years ago, they hired Etienne de Montille (who, incidentally, used to work for BNP) to run the estate. The wines have improved greatly under Etienne and should continue to improve with the work he is doing in the vineyards (which includes going bio-bio) and the new cellar.
Click to expand...

What Claude said, except I didn't know Etienne worked for BNP.
Click to expand...
For many years, he worked in Paris during the week and came down to Volnay on weekends. (When he wasn't in Romania making wine there, too.)
 
originally posted by Kevin Harvey:
I was very disappointed in the '05 de Montille reds. I found them quite oaky and "New world" in the narrow and pejorative sense.
Click to expand...

Damn. I was hoping I had an illusion in my glass.

Is it only '05s or is the style totally changed there now?

-O
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top