pronounced “Mone-teh-lee”
Where/What the hell is Monthelie? Sounds like the name of racing horse in the Kentucky Derby. But it is not…well I don’t know that for a fact…but what I can tell you is that it is the name of a wine region here in Bourgogne aka Burgundy aka Pinot Noir Land. If you have heard of this region, hats off to you! But unless you are a “wine-know”…you probably have not. Consider yourself lucky to be a part of this blog, because you will now be in the “wine-know” and a “wine-know”…you will know about Monthelie and stump all your friends with the 411 on a little known french wine region!! … You can thank me later.
Monthelie…. C’est la vie…
Monthelie is like the “Middle Child” It is between two wine regions that get the a lot of attention…but never underestimate the middle child! Just ask my middle sister Tori! Monthelie is a wonderful deal if you are a bit scared of the price of a bottle of Burgundy! It’s more price friendly than its pricier neighbors, Volnay and Mersault (don’t freak out if you don’t know those, we will get to them all in due time. For now, just know that they are wanted and therefore pricier they Monthelie). It holds the reputation of having some of the first vines of Burgundy planted in the year 1000. It is in the Burgundian department of ‘Cote d’Or ‘ (where Dijon is, which is the capital of Burgundy and where I am currently living and getting my Masters of Wine Business!) and more specifically in the ‘Cote de Beaune’ area of “Cote d’Or” of Burgundy. (I know Burgundy can seem a bit confusing, but stay with me! By the time I am done with the masters program here you will be a Burgundy master!) OK, back to Monthelie facts. Ummm. Produces way more red than white. Can be aged for quite a bit, compared to other surrounding Bourgogne wines. It has 176 inhabitants. And lest you forget, a great deal for the consumer!
Ok, on to MY Monthelie experience.
I had a Premier Cru. Here in Burgundy they rank their wines by Regional, Village, Premier Cru and Grand Cru. Grand Cru = Wine made from the BEST single vineyards. Premier Cru = still single vineyards but not as geographically blessed as the Grand Cru, but still pretty darn stellar. Village = made by combining the grapes from the ‘lesser’ vineyards within any given village. Regional = made by combining grapes from the entire Burgundy region.
So the wine I tasted below is not so bad eh? It is a Premier Cru, meaning it is blessed with a decent geographical location per the French AOC aka french wine governing entity.
Here it is…
Made by Roger Sauvestre
A 2006…
Our dinner guest Martin tasting the wine. He says…light cherry flavor.
My palate is goin’ with earthy/moist fallen leaves.
