Domaine du Cellier aux Moines : Montagny 1er cru "Les Combes" 2020

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Montagny Premier Cru "Les Combes" 2020 from Domaine du Cellier aux Moines

Tasting

Appearance

The appearance reveals a pale yellow hue with golden and green highlights, attesting to the youth and freshness of this white Burgundy wine.

Nose

The nose opens with vibrant aromas of white-fleshed fruit, notably peach and pear, accompanied by citrus notes with a beautiful expression of mandarin. Upon aeration, the bouquet reveals a delicate floral dimension evoking white flowers and iris, as well as a marked minerality recalling fresh stone and just-picked mushrooms. Touches of almond complete this complex aromatic palette.

Palate

On the palate, this Montagny Premier Cru seduces with its liveliness and remarkable balance. The attack is fresh and precise, revealing a silky texture of beautiful intensity. Flavors of ripe white fruit mingle harmoniously with citrus notes and a saline minerality that structures the whole. The wine's natural roundness is perfectly balanced by refreshing acidity. The finish, long and persistent, leaves an impression of mineral freshness accompanied by subtle spicy notes from the aging process.

Food and wine pairings

This Montagny Premier Cru "Les Combes" 2020 is ideal with poached or grilled crustaceans, simply prepared noble fish, as well as poultry in light sauce. It also pairs very well with matured goat cheese or seafood pasta.

Service and Storage

This Montagny Premier Cru "Les Combes" 2020 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 10 and 12°C. It is recommended to take it out of the refrigerator about fifteen minutes before serving to allow for the optimal expression of its aromas.

A fresh and mineral Montagny Premier Cru, signature of Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in Burgundy

The estate

Founded in 1130 by Cistercian monks from the Abbey of La Ferté, Domaine du Cellier aux Moines represents one of the oldest wine estates in Burgundy in continuous operation. Acquired in 2004 by the Pascal family (Philippe, Catherine and their three children), the estate experienced a remarkable renaissance after years of neglect. Today managed by Philippe Pascal and Guillaume Marko, a Dijon-graduate oenologist who joined the estate in 2015, the domain extends over several prestigious Burgundy appellations. A pioneer in sustainable viticulture, it became the first certified organic estate in Givry in 2020 and obtained biodynamic certification in 2023. The estate also stands out for its revolutionary gravity-fed winery built in 2015, one of the few in Burgundy.

The vineyard

The Montagny Premier Cru "Les Combes" comes from a 70-are plot within the southernmost appellation of the Côte Chalonnaise. Acquired in 2017, this plot benefits from a south-facing exposure at an altitude between 270 and 310 meters. The Chardonnay vines, planted in 2012, take root in clay-limestone soil dotted with oolitic stones characteristic of the appellation. This limestone terroir confers the wine its distinctive minerality and remarkable freshness. The Les Combes climat is particularly renowned for producing white wines combining aromatic concentration and liveliness.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage in Burgundy is characterized by sunny and early conditions. After two particularly hot vintages in 2018 and 2019, the year 2020 offered a return to more classic conditions favoring balance and elegance. Moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall distribution throughout the season allowed for excellent preservation of the Chardonnay's natural acidity, while ensuring optimal grape maturity. These conditions were particularly favorable to the expression of minerality and aromatic complexity in the white wines of the Côte Chalonnaise.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for the Montagny Premier Cru "Les Combes" 2020 are harvested manually at optimal maturity. After delicate pressing, vinification is carried out using indigenous yeasts, thus respecting the estate's natural winemaking philosophy. Aging takes place for 12 months in a combination of large oval casks and 228 and 400-liter barrels, with very moderate use of new wood (only one new barrel in the final blend). This approach allows for the preservation of the pure expression of the terroir while bringing subtle complexity to the wine. The wine is bottled without filtration in order to preserve all of its aromatic compounds.

Grape Variety

100% Chardonnay