Hubert de Montille
Pommard, Les Rugiens-Bas, Premier Cru 1996
Burgundy, France · 0.75L
- Vintage
- 1996
- Format
- 0.75L
- Custody
- Bonded storage
Held privately in professional bonded storage. Released through CruTrade. Enquiries by request.
Enquire about this bottle → View on CruTrade →Why this bottle matters
Hubert de Montille practised law in Dijon for close to fifty years and made wine at the same time, which meant he never had to make wine anyone else wanted. He took over 2.5 hectares in 1947, when most of the region's crop still went to négociants, and refused the era's conventions: chaptalisation kept to a minimum, potential alcohol never lifted above twelve degrees, no more than a quarter new oak. The style was austere young and celebrated old. Rugiens-Bas — the lower half of the vineyard, named for the iron-red clays — was always his favoured parcel, and the one his son Étienne and many others rank as a grand cru in all but title.
Cellaring perspective
The 1996 falls on the handover: Hubert's name on the label, Étienne in sole charge of the cellar since the previous vintage. Wines made this way were built to be hard young and to soften only with years, so a bottle approaching thirty is at the point the style was designed for rather than past it. Jancis Robinson recorded that Hubert died at dinner in 2014 having just been asked his opinion of two vintages of Rugiens — which is, in the end, where a bottle like this is meant to finish.
Why provenance matters
For rare bottles, storage history is part of the bottle itself. Read how provenance is judged at The Empty Drops.
From the same cellar
About this bottle
Is this Hubert de Montille Les Rugiens-Bas 1996 0.75L authentic and how is its provenance documented?
This Hubert de Montille Les Rugiens-Bas 1996 0.75L is held in professional bonded storage with documented custody. Its provenance is recorded from acquisition, the bottle remaining in professional custody, and condition is noted. The Empty Drops is a private cellar, not a reseller, and never invents data about a bottle.
How is the bottle stored and shipped?
The bottle is kept in temperature-controlled bonded storage and is not moved unless shipping is requested. It is recorded privately, not offered publicly; it can be released through CruTrade on request.
What does the fill level and condition tell you about this bottle?
Condition is read from the fill level (ullage), capsule and label rather than taken on faith. A bottle that has stayed in professional custody since acquisition avoids the usual weak points — heat, movement and broken records.
Where can I buy Hubert de Montille Les Rugiens-Bas 1996 0.75L?
Hubert de Montille Les Rugiens-Bas 1996 0.75L is recorded privately in this cellar and is not offered publicly. When a bottle is released it is handled through CruTrade, where condition and custody are documented. To ask about availability, price or a similar bottle, make a private enquiry.