Domaine de Villaine
Reach for the Stars
Aubert de Villaine, co director of Domaine de la Romanee Conti, and his wife Pamela came and settled in the village of Bouzeron in 1971 and set up Domaine de Villaine. Bouzeron is nestled in the Côte Chalonnaise region between Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay to the north and Rully and Mercurey to the south. The monks of the great Abbey of Cluny first planted vines here in the twelfth century, leaving a legacy that has endured for centuries.
Since 2000 Domaine de Villaine is managed by their nephew Pierre de Benoist. The Domaine recently expanded with the acquisition of Domaine de la Brelière in Rully followed by Domaine St Michel thereby adding wines from Rully and Mercurey to their portfolio.
In many ways I admire Pierre a lot. He reminds me of his uncle Aubert bringing a deeper vision and spiritual outlook to his work. Here in this photo Pierre is seen signing and presenting me a book about the Côte Chalonnaise.
I love the wines of Domaine de Villaine. There is an extra dimension to the wines. It surpasses taste, balance, authenticity, precision and all such adjectives that come to mind. If I may so, the wines reflect a good breeding. They stand apart from the pack but ever so subtly and elegantly.
-Rajiv Kehr
Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise
La Digoine
La Digoine is a site at the foot of a slope, known for centuries to provide the deep soil and growing conditions necessary for excellent red wine. Wine is fermented and aged in wood tanks with a minimum 2/3 of the stems, depending on the vintage. The vines planted on clay and limestone soils have an age in the range of 35 - 45 years.
La Digoine can be drunk very young after aeration. It has an immediate appeal with red berry fruit and a balance of roundness, structure, and length on the palate. However patience will be rewarded. Jasper Morris gives this wine his highest rating of 5 stars and goes on to say “Lovely limestone finish and very long backbone!”
Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Les Clous Aimé
Les Clous Aimé comes from several parcels located on a south-facing slope of Bouzeron's valley, sheltered from summer's north wind during ripening. The vineyard is planted with selections of Chardonnay grapes that have been chosen for moderate yields.
The vines planted on clay and limestone soils have an age in the range of 20 - 55 years. It is the Domaine’s 2nd largest plot, 3.4 Ha in size. 80% of the wine is raised in foudres of size 30 - 40 l and 20% is raised in barrels.
Bouzeron Aligote
Bouzeron is the sole Aligoté-only appellation in Burgundy. This is where Aligoté and its strain Aligoté Doré thrives. Domaine de Villaine’s Bouzeron comes from vines situated on the best slopes of the appellations. They have planted the golden Aligoté doré grape, which gives lowers yield and more aromatic wines than its cousin, the Aligoté vert.
True to its varietal nature, Bouzeron is a lively, fruity wine, but it also has a finesse and roundness that spring from the essential nature of the terroir.