CHATEAU DE LA CREE ‘LES TOURELLES DE LA CREE’ MONTAGNY BLANC 1ER CRU 2017

In the 15th century, the estate Château de la Crée was among the lands and properties acquired by Nicolas Rolin. He was the Chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy Philippe le Bon, who had christened himself the Lord of the Best Wines in Christendom. Nicolas Rolin and his wife, Guigone de Salins, founded and built the Hospice of Beaune, a world renowned charitable institution. At that time, they already produced wine at Château de la Crée. Remaining from the 15th century are some constructions discovered during the recent renovation work, such as the long stone funnel connecting the current lounge to the cellars. It was used to transfer the must from the fermenting room, which was at ground level, to the barrels stored in the cellar below. The château was obviously destroyed, looted or demolished during the French Revolution.The Château de la Crée in its current form, with its main building flanked by two small towers, was built in the 19th century. The vaulted cellars are the only parts that date back to the 15th century and are used today for private dinners and tasting events. The Château de la Crée, the surrounding park and the 3.5 acres of « Clos du Château » vineyards were bought in 2004 by Nicolas and Béatrice Ryhiner. Nicolas and Béatrice renovated the château and assembled the current vineyard holdings, including 25 acres of vineyards spanning 7 different appellations of the Côte de Beaune and a state-of-the art winery. In 2015, Grace and Ken Evenstad, proprietors of Domaine Serene Winery in Dayton, Oregon, purchased the Château de la Crée and assumed operations of the property this spring.