The 2008 Domaine de Montille Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Aux Malconsorts Christiane is an extraordinarily significant release of one of the domaine’s rarest wines. Christiane comes from a tiny 0.49-hectare parcel with a unique position immediately beside La Tâche Grand Cru, nestled like an enclave against the original section of La Tâche. Domaine de Montille vinifies this parcel separately because it consistently produces a darker, denser and more mineral expression than the domaine’s regular Malconsorts. The cuvée was named Christiane in honour of Christiane de Montille, Hubert de Montille’s wife and mother of Étienne and Alix, who passed away in 2008 - making the 2008 vintage particularly poignant as it is the vintage bearing the year of her passing.
The 2008 was produced with 100% whole-cluster fermentation, from vines then reported as approximately 80, 45 and 27 years old. It is a particularly elegant interpretation of Christiane, showing red cherry and raspberry alongside dried rose petals, Asian spices, smoky earth, herbs, soy and fine mineral notes. Rather than the sheer density found in warmer vintages, the palate is graceful and almost weightless, with crisp acidity, silky texture and exceptionally persistent fine tannins. Critical reception was excellent, including 96 Points from Wine Advocate and 92–94 Points from Burghound. A later tasting by Winehog found it refined, delicate and energetic, with rose, spice and earthy mineral complexity.
