The De Montille family has long been a venerable one in Burgundy, though Domaine de Montille’s reputation was properly established in 1947: prominent Dijon lawyer Hubert de Montille inherited 2.5 hectares in Volnay, later adding further parcels in Volnay, Pommard, and Puligny. Hubert’s style was famously austere: low alcohol, high tannin and sublime in maturity. His son, Etienne, joined him from ’83 to ’89 before becoming the senior winemaker, taking sole charge from ’95. Etienne also managed Château de Puligny-Montrachet from ’01; he bought it, with investors, in ’12.

The two estates were separate until ’17 when the government decreed that any wine estate bearing an appellation name could no longer offer wine from outside that appellation. The solution was to absorb the château estate into De Montille – the amalgamated portfolio is now one of the finest in the Côte d’Or.

Etienne converted the estate to organics in ‘95, and to biodynamics in 2005, making the house style more generous and open, focusing on the use of whole bunches for the reds.

Le Cailleret is a prestigious Premier Cru vineyard in Puligny-Montrachet, located on the same line of the slope as the famous Le Montrachet Grand Cru vineyard. The terroir here is perfect for the Chardonnay grape variety, which produces elegant, mineral white wines.

The 3.9-hectare (9.6 acres) vineyard, along with Les Pucelles on its eastern boundary below, abuts the commune's Grand Cru vineyards, sharing a boundary with both Le Montrachet and Chevalier-Montrachet. The latter runs up against the southwestern half of Le Cailleret's upslope edge.