Founded in the mid-18th century, this family-owned estate is one
of the most historic in the Côte d'Or, with ninth generation Etienne
de Montille now at its helm. Etienne inherited this responsibility from
his late father, Hubert, whose tenure lasted a staggering 50 years.
While 90% of the region's production was sold to négociants,
Hubert gained fame for his estate-bottled, long-lived and
characterful wines. Etienne initially trained as a lawyer but was
drawn back to Volnay where he invested in rebuilding the estate.
He was a savvy buyer and the domaine now boasts 37 hectares
across 35 separate appellations, making it one of the most
enviable vineyard holdings in the Côte d'Or. Etienne was an early
advocate of organic farming. In 1995 he introduced these
principles to the estate's vineyards. Biodynamic practices followed
in 2005, and the domaine received ‘Ecocert Bio' certification in
2012. Today, Etienne works with American-born chef de cave
Brian Sieve, who has been with the domaine for over a decade.

Montille's `Le Clos du Château` is a five-hectare vineyard located
within the walls of the castle of Puligny. Soils here are
predominantly comprised of clay. The domaine has practised
organic viticulture since 1995 and was certified organic in 2012.
Since 2005 it has also converted to biodynamic viticulture

The hand-picked grapes were carefully selected in both the
vineyard and cellar to ensure only the best were vinified. They
were gently pressed under sulphur to stop malolactic fermentation
before undergoing a slow fermentation with indigenous yeasts at
controlled temperatures. Lees stirring was carried out a total of five
times over a two-week period. Two thirds of the wine was then
racked to 600 litre French oak barrels (3rd and 4th use) and the
remaining third to stainless-steel tanks to undergo 12 months
ageing.

Halibut on the bone or poussin with a cream sauce.