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Wine growing is his passion; he systematically seeks the highest quality, but makes a point of honour of preserving the unique character of each of his terroirs (the soil, subsoil and micro-climate of a particular place and the grape varieties planted in it) and creating wines with great potential for ageing, always the privilege of the great Bordeaux wines. His choices also follow the evolution in cultivation and vinification techniques. "Wine," he says, "is both my work and my hobby. Wines today are becoming more standardized, which makes them lose their intrinsic character. Putting your name to a grand cru is a commitment on the part of the winegrower; it is something that can never simply be put down to a gift of Nature. Besides the terroir, however exceptional it may be, there is just as much professional experience and artistic passion." Assisted by his wife, Elisabeth, his son Christophe and his three permanent staff, he tends his vines, makes and matures his wine in the spirit of tradition with an rare enthusiasm that he likes to share with those who love wine.
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After
completing his advanced studies in vine growing and œnology
in Beaune, Burgundy, Jean de Monteil took over the family estate
in 1972.
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You will always find the wine to suit your taste among the range of different wines (visit the boutique)
VITICULTURAL TECHNIQUES The average age of the vineyards is about 40 years. As the older vines produce greater quality, everything is done to keep them in place for as long as possible. Farming techniques are turned towards natural grassing, kept in check in the vine rows in order to control the vigour of the plants as much as possible. The IPM method (integrated pest management), which is used to treat the various diseases and parasites present in the vines, is strictly controlled in order to preserve the surrounding wildlife through measured protection. Amongst other benefits, it enables insects to return and become predators of damage-causing mites in the vines. To this end, counts are carried out each week in order to determine the evolution of diseases and the populations of destructive insects in the vines. Thanks to this the vine grower can treat the vines more appropriately and less often. VINICULTURAL TECHNIQUES The time of harvesting depends on the physiological maturity of the grapes but especially on their phenolic maturity. For the latter, tasting grapes in the vineyard remains the most reliable means of determining the harvest date. The grapes are sorted manually. Then they are de-stemmed and lightly crushed to break the skin The vinification is in small batches and the temperature is checked, then regulated depending on the year (ideally at 30/32°C) The fermentation period varies depending on the year and the state of the crop. More pronounced tannins deserve longer fermentation which can be as much as 35 days. Maturing :
The final blending takes place 18 months after the harvest following a rigorous selection process. Bottling is carried out by the staff using the estate's machinery in a new bottling plant which is used as a storage facility (capacity 24,000 bottles). The building has automatic ventilation and temperature regulation all year round.
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