Philippe Pascal, who along with winemaker Guillaume Marko, run Domaine du Cellier aux Moines, explains that the soil and exposure of the vines for their Les Charmelottes are basically the same as for their Les Combes. The difference is the age of the vines. And what a difference! The vines in Charmelottes date to 1939, or are about 80 years old, compared to the ones in Les Combes which are about a dozen years old. Turns out—age does matter! Les Charmelottes is just more expressive, explosive, and overall is a more engaging wine that shows the potential of Montagny. When I served the 2020 Charmelottes to a friend last year, he was astounded, “This is Montagny?”
94 Michael Apstein – June 4, 2025