Millemann
Most Burgundy careers begin with village wines and gradually work their way up the ranks. Millemann skipped those steps. Pierre Millemann, a wine expert and consultant based in Burgundy, harvests grapes exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards and produces wine in very small batches, just one barrel at a time. Since he works alongside his wife, Stéphanie, a professional sommelier, and his daughter, Charlotte, the entire process operates more like a family project than a business.
The grapes are sourced from growers for whom Pierre serves as a professional consultant. He collaborates with them to produce a single batch, reserving one barrel exclusively for himself. The labels feature names such as Chambertin and Bonnes Mares from the Côte de Nuits region, alongside a Grand Cru produced on the Corton hillside. Furthermore, a portion of the proceeds is donated to charity, which is rare for wines of this caliber.
History
Pierre Millemann came to be connected to wine in several ways at once. On his father's side, he is part Alsatian, and on his mother's side, he has Breton roots; he was primarily raised in Anjou and majored in agricultural science, plant pathology (the study of plant diseases), and winemaking.
For the next 15 years, he worked as a winemaker in various regions. In 2001, he moved to Burgundy to start a consulting business, which has since expanded far beyond France to include regions worldwide.
Then came 2017. That year, Pierre, Stéphanie, and Charlotte began making their own wines, starting with one barrel of red Grand Cru and one barrel of white wine. Stéphanie and Pierre first met in the vineyards of the Jura. Charlotte grew up among oak barrels and tasting notes, and later decided to fully join the family's winemaking tradition.
Millemann has deliberately remained small-scale ever since, because quantity has never been what matters most.
No vineyards, and that is the model
Millemann does not own its own vineyards in the traditional sense. The grapes are sourced from growers advised by Pierre, which means the company has access to Grand Cru plots that a startup could never otherwise acquire.
Selecting vineyard plots is the starting point of the process. After carefully selecting plots, Millemann manages them meticulously throughout the entire growing season. The company does not leave all processes, including biodynamic cultivation, soil and plant analysis, and vine protection, entirely to the growers but monitors them directly.
Chambertin and Bonnes Mares are located in the Côte de Nuits region. Corton Renardes and Corton-Charlemagne are produced on the slopes of Corton.
Two grapes, no exceptions
Burgundy's Grand Cru system offers almost no choice, and Millemann offers no choice either.
- For red wines: Pinot Noir (including Chambertin)
- For Corton-Charlemagne's white Grand Cru: Chardonnay
Pierre Millemann takes a particularly distinctive stance toward Chardonnay. He treats this variety as a robust grape rather than a delicate one, and even in an era when the term phenolic is often used pejoratively, he defends the phenolic characteristics of white wines.
The winemaking
Millemann's winemaking philosophy is simple: add nothing beyond what nature has already expressed. This approach, which minimizes the use of additional ingredients, is a principle that Pierre has upheld throughout more than 30 years of winemaking.
For white wines, the grapes undergo a crushing process before pressing; this is a deliberate step that helps directly shape the phenolic structure he desires in the finished wine. Corton-Charlemagne is aged in 500-liter barrels instead of standard barrels.
This free-thinking approach is balanced by meticulous control. Creative ideas are encouraged, but nothing is left to chance.
The same level of meticulous attention is paid to packaging. Bottles and corks are selected not as an afterthought but as an integral part of the wine, and a portion of each cuvée is released in magnum bottles.
Four grands crus and a charity auction
The Millemann product line consists entirely of Grand Cru wines; Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru is a white wine, and Chambertin Grand Cru is one of the red wines. Corton Renardes and Bonnes Mares round out the red wine lineup. Production is limited to a specific number of barrels, making these wines truly rare in the truest sense, not merely scarce due to a passing trend.
The magnum bottles are a special case. Each bottle is personally designed by a different celebrity and entered into a charity auction; proceeds from the sale of standard-sized bottles are also donated. The first official auction, featuring the 2020 April, was originally planned but was postponed for one year due to the pandemic.
Therefore, purchasing a bottle of Millemann is, in part, a charitable contribution. This is an important fact to keep in mind before comparing prices with neighboring domaines.
Frequently asked questions
Is Millemann a domaine with its own vineyards?
No. Pierre Millemann sources grand cru fruit from growers he consults for, vinifies with them, and keeps a barrel of the result for the family project.
Who makes the wine?
Pierre Millemann, an oenologist, teacher and researcher, with his wife Stéphanie, a trained sommelier, and their daughter Charlotte.
Why is production so small?
Because each wine is made in single-barrel quantities.
What does Millemann do besides wine?
Pierre runs a wine consultancy from Burgundy, advising producers in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Piemonte, Alto Adige and the United States.
