Domaine A et P de Villaine Rully Rouge 1er Cru ‘Les Champs Cloux’ 2022

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

About Domaine A et P de Villaine

From Kermit Lynch

Aubert de Villaine deserves the accolades he receives. He is a reluctant hero, an unlikely trait in a man of such accomplishment, intellect, and inherent sense of noblesse. Heir to one of the most enviable wine legacies of all time, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, the young Aubert was more interested in literature and law than wine. After spending time in New York working for an importer of Burgundian wines, he finally returned home in the mid-nineteen sixties to assume his role as co-director of DRC.

In the 1970s, Aubert and his American wife, Pamela, sought less pedigreed pastures to call home. They finally settled in the village of Bouzeron, well-situated between Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay, Rully, and Mercurey, in the Côte Chalonnaise. However high profile his day job, Aubert still considers himself a vigneron like any other, and Bouzeron’s off-the-beaten-path location left him alone to make his own wines without the demands of upholding an international reputation. The domaine was horribly rundown when the de Villaines took over, but years of studying this unique terroir have made them pioneers in one of the last forgotten enclaves of Burgundy. The monks of the great abbey of Cluny first planted vines here in the twelfth century, leaving a legacy that has endured for centuries. Consequently, the grape varietal that reigns supreme today is the dry, white Aligoté—an unusual celebrity given its work-horse reputation in the middle of Chardonnay country. Bouzeron boasts the best Aligoté in Burgundy, the Aligoté Doré, (instead of the lesser clone, Aligoté Vert) which gives smaller yields to produce wines with more expressive aromatics. Although the grape was overlooked until 1979 when it first earned the appellation Bourgogne Aligoté de Bouzeron, the I.N.A.O. finally upgraded the appellation to A.O.C. Bouzeron in 1997, largely due to Aubert’s advocacy over the years. Aubert’s single vineyard Bourgognes, both in blanc and rouge, are equally outstanding representations of the unlikely pedigree found in this corner of the region.

The de Villaines farm three appellations within the Côte Chalonaise, namely Bouzeron (Aligoté), Rully (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and Mercurey (Pinot Noir). Their single-vineyard parcels are stunning examples of what this complex and amazing terroir can yield. Though their wines are quite enjoyable young, their ability to age well is what one might expect from a master such as de Villaine. Much of this is due to both the diversity of his vinestock and his organic and biodynamic methodology in the vineyards, both of which Aubert stands by with great conviction. He also ferments his Mercureys and Rully rouge in wood tanks, a style adopted from DRC.

Pierre de Benoist, Aubert’s nephew, currently directs the domaine, upholding the sense of tradition, excellence, and standards for which it has become so well-known. In 2010, Aubert was awarded Decanter Magazine’s prestigious “Man of the Year” Award, a distinction that, unsurprisingly, the modest Aubert seemed reluctant to accept.

Thoughts on Terroir by Pierre de Benoist

Although the main natural characteristics of geology, soil, climate, and topography can be considered fundamental pillars for defining a terroir, the notion of terroir also includes human, historical, and sociological factors, and defines viticultural and oenological practices.

Throughout this, we must never forget the work of generations of winegrowers who have used the unique characteristics of the rocks and soils to create a landscape often imbued with a uniquely ordered grace and to produce wines that are an extension of its aromas and flavors.

Thus, speaking of the winegrower’s work is to refer to the notion of terroir of origin.
This requires, in return, not only a certain authenticity in the work of the vineyard but also a great and true simplicity in the vinification of the grapes brought to the cellar. This also requires a deep respect for the energies necessary for the proper balance of a soil and the production of wines that reflect our sensibilities:

– mineral energy from our limestone soils, whose great geological variation has shaped our wines,
– plant energy from our grape varieties, the choice of rootstocks, whose expression must be as neutral as possible,
– astral energy from our planets and their interaction,
– animal energy coming not only from humans, the “animal-winegrower,” but also from animals, mammals and non-mammals, living in and with the vines.

Our actions today are no longer subject to the excessive interventionism stemming from the scientific and productivist period of the 1970s, which had a lasting impact on the quality of our wines and the rural landscape.
Today, they are an extension of what a winegrower might feel when faced with a terroir, a vineyard. He will adapt his work according to the characteristics of the soil, the quality of the rootstock, the grape variety, and the orientation of the vine. He becomes a part of it. He makes the soil function as terroir without working it more intensively. He simply understands it and thus allows for the alignment of two main factors: the soil and the plant material.

By reflecting, observing, and considering the terroir, the vine (its environment) as a whole, the winemaker will facilitate the establishment of inseparable, and above all, dynamic, links between the different energies discussed above.

Through his actions, the winemaker returns to the values ​​of the earth and thus becomes a “midwife” who “persists” in revealing the soil on a hillside so that it becomes a terroir.

The vine, an earthly plant, can then fulfill its celestial aspirations through the wines that the entire team at the estate is delighted to offer you vintage after vintage.

He who builds beneath the stars, builds low.

Pierre de Benoist, January 10, 2014

The delimitation of Burgundy’s climats is an exemplary illustration of this profound understanding of terroir, born some two thousand years ago and which continues to this day.

Even though Burgundy’s wines earned their reputation in times when technology was lacking, when much of the vineyard work was done manually, reinforcing the winegrowers’ qualities of patience, observation, respect, and attentiveness, the fact remains that we must remain open and not dismiss new technologies, provided they complement, refine, and perfect traditional approaches.

These actions thus create a bond, a communion between a terroir, a vine, an earthly plant, and the man who responds to the celestial aspirations of this vine through his wines.

In the Vineyard

The vines are grown exclusively on the slopes : the nutrient-poor, limestone-rich soil allows precise yield control, while a warm microclimate favors ripening of the grapes.

In order to obtain the healthy, high-quality grapes we need in order to express every facet of an exceptional terroir, we have chosen to adopt organic agricultural methods. Since 1986, we have been certified by Qualicé-France. To respect the natural balance and interaction of the soil and vines, we use no pesticides or herbicides, and fertilizer use is restricted to organic vegetal compost.

These variables well in hand, let us turn to the vine itself. To create a wine that rises to the potential of the varietal and the terroir, Domaine de Villaine controls its yield through selective planting and a regimen of sevre pruning and occasional pre-harvest thinning. The domain’s harvests average about 20% /ower than the yields authorized by the already-stringent AC regulations.

About Aligoté de Bouzeron

The White wines from the Aligoté grape have made Bouzeron’s reputation. As early as 1730, the historian (some might say early travel writer) Abbé Courtépée, in his Description du Duché de Bourgogne, praised their distinctive caracter: dry, yet delicate, and distinguished by roundness and finesse so cherished inthe varietal.

Aligoté has long been cultivated in Burgundy, formerly in a position of favor on the slopes of the Côte d’Or’s great white villages of Meursault and Pernand-Vergelesses. The dictates of popular taste led to its replacement by such better-known grapes as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and today Aligoté has been largely relegated to flatter regions with richer soils which produce an abundance of Bourgogne Aligoté that doesn’t live up to its potential.

In Bouzeron, however, the solid local tradition of quality continues unabated. Aligoté still occupies the place of honor, benefiting from the conditions and attention it so justly deserves. Bouzeron is unique: it is the only village in Burgubdiy where this varietal is cultivated exclusively on the slopes.

In 1979 its Aligotés were awarded seperate Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée status among Bourgogne Aligotés, and 1997 saw the creation of the full-fledged seperate Bouzeron Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée.

In the Winery

Bouzeroun:  Upon being gathered and sorted by hand, the grapes go immediately into a pneumatic press. Pressing is slow and gentle in order to obtain claer, non-astringent juice.The musts ferment in tanks or oak tuns at controlled temperatures in order to preserve each wine’s freshness and specific aromatic traits.

We find that remaining faithful to Burgundy’s traditional production methods is the best way to respectfully continue and augment the work begun by the soil, the climate, and the vine.

Manual / harvesting is the only possible way to bring in whole grapes in excellent condition.

Strict sorting of the harvest eliminates bunches whose health or ripeness might fail to meet our standard.

Natural / vinification is an extension of the philosophy of organic cultivation carried out in our vineyards. The objective of both is to allow the natural expression of the nuances and aromas particular to each terroir and grape variety

Maturing in tuns, oak casks, and tanks, or a combination of the three, brings out the freshness, fruit, and specific aromas of each wine, with an eye toward overall finesse. We make no more than moderate use of new oak casks, in order to avoid the vanilla and oak flavors that would mask our wine’s true nature.

The 2022 Vintage at Domaine A et P de Villaine

Aubert de Villaine’s nephew Pierre de Benoist noted that the vineyards under the domaine’s aegis now total 36 ha (up from 18 ha) though only 30 are presently being farmed. He succinctly described the 2022 growing season as “much, much easier than the extremely challenging one that we endured in 2021 where we lost fully 70% of the potential crop through a combination of frost and disease pressure. By contrast, 2022 was hot and dry and largely free of any climatic incidents and remarkably, there wasn’t much disease pressure either. When we finally got to the harvest, for once it was relatively easy to choose the start date as everything was progressively ripening and we didn’t have too many parcels with disparate maturity levels. Moreover, and as luck would have it, the picking conditions were excellent and I have rarely seen such high quality fruit. Quantities were good but not high and the potential alcohols were really quite moderate for the chardonnay, for example, they came in right at 13% though the reds were as high as 14%. There were no problems with the vinifications and overall, 2022 is an excellent vintage and in both colors. For the reds, I would put the quality levels on a par with both 1999 and 2005, which is saying something! For the whites, I haven’t decided what vintage they might reasonably resemble but whatever it is, it’s a good one!” Benoist noted that the 2022 whites were bottled in January 2024 and the reds between February and March 2024. Benoist typically presents his upper level wines only after they’ve been in bottle at least one year but based on the entry level 2022s, they seem quite promising. 

Burghound

Where in the World is Domaine A et P de Villaine?

Domaine A et P de Villaine is based in Bouzeron, Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France. They have holdings in Bouzeron, Rully and Mercury in the Côte Chalonnaise and in Saint-Aubin in the Côte de Beaune. This wine is from Rully.