de MONTILLE & HOKKAIDO

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de Montille & Hokkaido Project

Domaine de Montille is a 300 years old family-owned wine estate in Burgundy, France, one of the most famous and oldest wine producing regions. The current owner, Etienne de Montille, believes in the potential of Japan for high quality wines and especially Hokkaido for the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals.

This is why in 2016, he decided to launch the de Montille & Hokkaido”project that is, to our knowledge, the first vineyard in Japan being planted by a foreign wine producer. The Japanese viticulture is quite modest by international standards with 2.000 of ha planted of wine-grapes and about 200 wineries within the four main regions of production that are Hokkaido, Nagano, Yamagata and Yamanashi.

There are four main viticultural areas in Japan - Hokkaido, Nagano, Yamagata, and Yamanashi - which are quite modest by international standards. In this sense, our project is quite pioneering. We believe it will be a force for the Japanese wine industry. The de Montille & Hokkaido project aims to fully cooperate and share the old know-how and experience of Burgundy's 2000 historical years with Japanese winegrowers, and to share the skills and knowledge of Hokkaido's terroir and climate with our team of the new and old generations.

We will work together to learn and explore how to know terroir, unique and high quality wines in Hokkaido. The Franco-Japanese team will begin planting vineyards in Hakodate in 2019. The goal is to gradually increase the area under cultivation.
　The first wine from our vineyard was produced in 2023. Construction of the winery was also completed in 2023 with the cooperation of the City of Hakodate, Hokkaido and others.

　In the meantime, from 2018 to 2022, we have been sharing grapes from friendly grape growers in Yoichi area of Hokkaido to produce a small amount of wine. This has allowed us to learn and understand how to vinify grapes in the Japanese and Hokkaido environment. We would like to share with our friends the strong feelings we have experienced on this fascinating adventure by sharing these five years of learning with Japanese winegroews, our Hokkaido wine lovers, and that is why each of the five vintages (2018-2022) will have a different label.

In the future, I would be honored to contribute to the growing prestige of Japanese wine in the world together with my fellow producers by marketing de Montille & Hokkaido wines from Hakodate not only in Japan but also abroad.

2016

2019

2020

2023

Project start

First vine planting

豪 2018 first release

Start our winery
in Hakodate

2025

Hakodate Wine

Release

KERNER

Variety: Kerner

Kerner is a brilliant green color with slight lemon yellow tints. Aromas are fresh, with flavors of white flowers, lime tree and sage. Slightly smoky with hints of noisette. On the palate, the wine has a soft acidity and a round, angular mouthfeel. There is a balance of white fruit, acidity, and floral flavors.
　As it ages, it shows good rich fruit with smokiness, apricot, and a hint of fresh honey.
　Eat raw seafood, sushi or sashimi. Also easy to pair with strong-flavored cheeses. It pairs well with appetizers such as pâtés, rillettes, and charcuterie, and in main courses with wild fowl, aromatic meats, and white meat dishes with herbs.
　Enjoyable from the moment of release, the wine will turn golden in 3 to 5 years, with a good sense of aging with a good second aroma.
Service : 10-12℃

PINOT NOIR

Variety: Pinot Noir

Pale brilliant garnet color. Fresh red fruit with bites of raspberry and strawberry. Floral with hints of red flowers like peony. Soft acidity balances the fruit. A hint of white pepper spice.
　On the palate, there is an earthy depth with finesse fruit. The fine tannins are integrated into the wine's texture, and the harmony of soft acidity and fruit can be enjoyed. On the finish, mineral nuances and ripe tannin-derived umami lead to a long, lingering finish. The overall elegance is maintained with a pinot touch that is typical of the cool climate.
　As it ages, tobacco and mushroom nuances are added, adding finesse and complexity to the palate.
　It is best served with red meats, and when young, with carpaccio and fish dishes, especially fresh tuna. After aging, it is also a good match for flavorful white meats and stewed sweet meats.
　It is best to drink it early in the bottle, but it is best to wait for the flavors to open up slowly in a large glass. 6 to 10 years of aging will allow the second aroma to open up.
Service temperature 18°C

ZWEIGELT

Variety: Zweigel

　Ruby color with deep bright purple tints. Aromas of violets and ripe red fruit. Red fruits with black cherry-like black fruits. Spicy, with flavors of crushed pink pepper and black pepper, with an appetizing nutmeg nuance. The concentrated fruit and light acidity give the wine a smooth mouthfeel with a body that is very drinkable.
　The palate is dry, but with nuances of ripe fruit sweetness. The spice accentuates the harmony of fruit and acidity that keeps the drinker coming back for more.
　As it matures, the entire wine becomes mellow and velvety on the tongue, and the sweetness of the glycerin also emerges.　Spicy flavors accentuate the fruit-confined quality of the Zweigelt.
　When young, it can be used with grilled dishes such as barbecue, whether fish or meat. It can be served with salt and pepper, but also with sauces on the grill. As it ages, it can be easily combined with rich dishes such as stewed red meats, white meats in cream sauces, etc.
Serving temperature 16-18°C

探
Recherche
2022

From 2018 to 2022, we will produce small quantities of wines from grapes coming from friendly Hokkaido vine growers in the Yoichi region and vinify thanks to a partnership with Coco Farm and Mr Bruce Gutlove (10R Winery).

During these five years of learning, the production is reserved for Japanese wine lovers only and we wish to share with them some of the strong feelings we experienced during this fascinating adventure. A different label will express one of the feeling for each of these 5 vintages (2018 to 2022).

2018, our first vintage, expresses the boldness and willingness to take on unprecedented and hard challenges of a Burgundy producer planting vineyards in Hakodate and making wines in Hokkaido. We chose " 豪 Go Oser" .

2019, our second vintage expresses the numerous surprises and wonders that we encountered during this journey. The 2019 vintage was a surprise in itself with a warmer season and riper than usual grapes. We named it “ 驚 Kyo Surprise”.

　The 2021 production was released in April 2024. We have decided to call it “理 Comprendre” because of the many realizations we have had so far.　　

　And the last vintage is 2022. We have decided to call it “探 Recherche” because what we have experienced and learned over the past four years means that there will be many more challenges ahead and we will have to face them.　　

　Burgundy winemaking has a history of exploration that dates back 2000 years to Roman times. Hakodate's winemaking has just begun. We will continue to explore more and more.