2017 Volnay En Champans 1er Cru, Domaine de Montille, Burgundy, France
OVERVIEW
The Domaine de Montille En Champans is one of the most highly regarded wines from one of the most highly regarded vineyards in all of Volnay. With steep, calcareous slopes and in the expert hands of the Domaine and their whole bunch techniques this is our favourite Volnay in the entire AOC.
A wine best drunk at least seven years after the vintage, the En Champans is always packed with dense red fruit, enjoys a fine structure with good acidity and tannin content and will evolve into something very special over the coming two decades. This is our recommendation for a case buy from this very good vintage.
CRITIC REVIEWS
The 2017 Volnay 1er Cru Champans displays notions of red cherries, potpourri, dried herbs and rich soil tones. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fine-boned and tensile, and while it's somewhat austere in profile its tannins are nicely integrated. It will likely flesh out with further levage and time in bottle. 92 Points William Kelley
The 2017 Volnay Les Champans 1er Cru matures with 50% whole clusters and 30% new oak. It has a very comely bouquet with open-knit red cherries, raspberry and wild strawberry aromas tinged with violet. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, good acidity, fine grip and backbone. The finish feels very long. This has the sense of authority you look for in this vineyard. Excellent. 94 Points Neal Martin
FOOD PAIRING INSPIRATION
This Volnay is one of the most powerful and dense from a region known for lighter styles. The En Champans will be able to stand up to a roast turkey or chicken easily and will even pair well with veal and game and cheeses like Brie and Camembert.
VINTAGE AND WINEMAKING
The 2017 vintage started off tricky but ended; sublime. The vineyards on the slopes of En Champans bravely withstood the frost during bud break unlike many of the vineyards lower down the hills.
The 2017 reds are of supreme freshness of fruit, with typical red fruit notes of raspberry, strawberry and sour cherry, with a floral touch and spice passing from the entire harvest. The palate is full, ethereal, with crunchy fruit and slightly acidic.
The tannins are very well integrated with a rather light texture and silky, comparable in quality to the 2010 and 2002 vintages.
2017 is a particular vintage; thanks to the quality of the tannins and more generally the profile of the wines, where theses wines will be pleasant to drink young (especially for the wines of Beaune, Volnay, Pommard) although we recommend 7 years in bottle for this particular wine.
PRODUCER NOTES
A historic winemaking family in Burgundy with roots going back to the 17th century, Domaine de Montille has always been at the forefront of modernisation in this area and was one of the first Burgundy families to take the brave steps of organics ('95) and biodynamics ('05). Known for their use of whole bunch clusters, the wines of the Domaine are remarkably fresh and lively and given well to bottle age.
Considered one of a handful of elite producers for wines from Pommard and Volnay these are highly sought after wines that don't only improve in bottle with age but also increase in price, especially in exceptional vintages.
As of today, the domaine benefits from 35 hectares of vines, of which 75% are Premiers or Grands Crus from both Côtes.
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SERVICE AND STORAGE TIPS
This Domaine de Montille can be drunk now but will improve over the next 10 years so we recommend leaving the wine in bottle until at least 2024.
This wine should be served between 16-18°C.
DELIVERY INFORMATION
Delivery is free when you spend over £150. For orders under this amount then a £9.99 delivery charge will be applied.
We use a tracked UPS delivery service who provide text and email tracking updates.
Every bottle sold by CoolerSomm is subject to our quality guarantee. If a wine is corked or faulty, we will replace it.
2017 Volnay En Champans 1er Cru, Domaine de Montille, Burgundy
| Wine Card | |
| Wine Producer | Domaine de Montille |
| Wine Region | Burgundy |
| Wine Classification | Volnay AOC |
| Wine Type | Red |
| Grape Variety | Pinot Noir |
| Vintage | 2017 |
| Vintage Quality | Outstanding - Robert Parker |
| Maturity | For Laying Down |
| Body | Mid Bodied |
| Sweetness | Dry |
| Alcohol % | 13% |
| Bottle Type | Burgundy 75cl |
| Serving Temperature | 16-18°C |
| Food Pairing | Turkey, Chicken, Game, Veal |
| Awards | 92 Points - Wine Advocate |
| 94 Points - Neal Martin |
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