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About Montesquieu
Montesquieu is a full-service wine group that sources for our clients the very best wines in the world – particularly those that come from boutique, family-owned, organically-farmed vineyards. We pride ourselves in discovering hidden gems – vineyard properties steeped in tradition, whose wine reflects unique terroir and local culture. And unlike most wine merchants, we rarely work with retail shops and restaurants – the vast majority of our clients are individual wine lovers like you.
The original Baron of Montesquieu – the philosopher and viticulturist Charles de Secondat – not only deeply influenced America’s governmental structure with his famous treatise The Spirit of the Laws, but also is credited by many with the discovery of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, now the principal varietal in the greatest wines of Bordeaux and Napa. We are pleased to carry on the tradition of winemaking begun by the Baron himself on his Bordeaux estate in the 18th century.
At Montesquieu, we work with growers and producers all over the world to procure delicious, terroir-driven wines that we know our clients will love, and that are nearly impossible to find elsewhere. Internationally, we direct-import and sell to our clients world-class wines, many of which are not otherwise available in the United States. In many cases, we work directly with the producers from the outset to identify a particular vineyard plot with distinctive character and great potential, which the producer then cultivates with our clients in mind. Typically, we are the exclusive importers of the wine we bring in to the U.S.
Domestically, we operate as negociants – an approach common in Europe and growing in the U.S. that has resulted in some of the greatest names and finest wines in France. As negociants, we leverage our longstanding relationships with top growers to seek out some of the best small-batch juice from the most prestigious regions on the West Coast. We then finish each wine in such a way as to draw out its unique character and complexity, bottle and label it, and offer it to our clients. Led by our winemaker Hélène Mingot, our wine buyers are highly selective, electing to carry only the most distinctive, most delicious juice, crafted from carefully farmed grapes on the highest pedigreed land. Because of our rigorous selection process, our clients can be assured that every wine we offer represents the very best of its type.
Whether we’re sourcing wine internationally or producing it locally, we are committed to getting our clients hand-crafted, small-run, outstanding wines, each of which offers a unique taste of the good life. If you're among the fortunate few who have the opportunity to acquire these wines, we promise that you'll experience a true work of art.
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