François Montand

François Montand, descendant of a long line of winemakers, grew up on his family's vineyard in Champagne. Fascinated from an early age by wine, he became one of the most influential wine merchants in the region.
In the early 1940s, during the Second World War, François Montand chose to leave his native Champagne for the Jura. At this time, this region belonged to the "Zone Libre" (Free Zone). The crossing of the demarcation line was a dangerous risk. François Montand crossed this line via the town of Dole, a county town massively occupied by the German army. The master cellar took only few vines with him to replant in the Jura.
Moving to the Jura vineyards allowed François Montand to keep the views and beliefs of his winemaking style. The Jura, one of the oldest vineyards in France, permits François Montand to restart a new life and to make incredible sparkling wine signature of the François Montand name.
The soil of Jura, composed of limestone and glacial moraines, provides the wine a unique wealth of character. Moreover, the climate in this region is harsh in the winter and irregular in the summer, which gives an inimitable taste to the wine. All these specificities come together to offer the best quality wines which François Montand is looking for and convince him to continue the family tradition in this region. He never gets back to Champagne.
Thanks to his expertise from Champagne, he produced sparkling wines rich in flavour made according to the traditional bottle double fermentation method. The François Montand wines are still produced with strict adherence to this traditional method, with a rigorous selection of the best grapes to offer fresh and fruity quality sparkling wine for the pleasure of most.

Arnaud van der Voorde, cellarmaster:
“For years, I have taken the greatest of care in producing our wines. Thanks to this wealth of experience and unique know-how in time methods, taught by François Montand. I hope to safeguard the traditions of the cellar masters at the Chais du Jura. For me, bringing pleasure to our customers is the challenge I look forward to every year. And so I invite you to discover a prestigious range of wines: the François Montand collection.”