Domaine Stéphane Aladame, Montagny `Prélude`

In 1992, an 18-year-old Stéphane Aladame founded his eponymous domaine in the Côte Chalonnaise village of Montagny. He has since earned an outstanding reputation in the region, mainly due to his commitment, almost exclusively, to 1er Cru vineyards. The Montagny appellation owes a great deal to Stéphane, who has been a driving force in the village for the past 30 years. As a result, Montagny is now regarded as making wines that rival those of the Côte de Beaune at a more affordable price.

With no family willing to take over the domaine, Stéphane recently sold his eight hectares of vines to the Gouges family of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Trusting his friends Grégory and Antoine Gouges to continue his vision, he sold with the condition of buying a third of each harvest to continue making his own wines.

The vineyards continue to be organically farmed and harvested by hand, a rarity in Montagny, where most vineyards are owned by cooperatives. Stéphane’s ‘Prélude’ is sourced from two Montagny village parcels, ‘Le May’ and ‘Les Coeres’. It is unoaked, emphasising the vibrancy of fruit and lively acidity that derives from Montagny’s calcareous soils. The 1er Cru ‘Les Maroques’ is sourced from a 3.5-hectare vineyard planted between 300 and 330 metres above sea level. Its clay-limestone soils produce wines with marked minerality and refined hints of fresh white peach, complementing floral and citrus notes.