Tasted in Bouzeron, with Pierre de Benoist, 13 October 2023.
Domaine A. et P. de Villaine
2 Rue Fontaine
71150 Bouzeron
Tel: +33 3 85 91 20 50
www.de-villaine.com
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More reports with Domaine de Villaine.
Pierre on 2023:
“2023 was not a large volume – we carefully chose our yield and then lost some of it with the hail – indeed, it’s a low volume for some cuvées. We triaged at the vines and again in the cuverie but in places that triage was 30% – more for the pinot than the chardonnay. The aligoté, I feel, we had some exceptional grapes.”
Pierre on 2022:
“This time the volumes were okay. We would say reasonable – 40-45 hl/ha – low for a Bourgogne rouge! The following were racked before the harvest with the plan to bottle around November time. It’s the bitters that are bringing the freshness in these days of higher degrees and it’s no surprise when you think that the skins are getting thicker in response to the heat to help protect the grapes.”
The wines…
A beautiful range of wines, some with a special search to find!
As is usual here, due to their extended elevage, we looked at the ‘ready’ wines – so mix of vintages. All cork seals here:
Plenty of colour and a fine vibrancy of red fruit. In the mouth here is an equally fine fluidity of flavour, filling the middle-flavours with joy and a frame of the subtlest of tannin. Juicy finishing. Broad finishing too – longer than any Bourgogne can wish to be – bravo!
Bio here since 1986, which allows us to achieve a maturity of fruit that we didn’t have before. The word ‘Digoine’ is an old one celebrating the quality of the water in a place.
Here the aromatic impression is silkier. Bubbling, impossibly delicious and energetic – but never with too demanding an energy. Again juicy but somehow with a more open delivery of its fruity flavours. A hint more stony finishing – cherry stone and light elevation of the finishing tannin. I always love this wine – a step up from the Fortune but a smaller step than in some vintages – bravo!
2022 Mercurey Les Montots
A little iron in the soil here. North-east of the appellation, near Clos Myglands and La Framboisière. Plain south-facing, the soil a little red from the iron.
Ooh – now that’s a beauty – a more sophisticated width of complex and attractive flavour. In the mouth – fresh and energetic – really complex – a little more blocky from the tannin today – this will also benefit from your patience but the finishing flavour, working its way through the tannin is completely delicious. Really a personality here. Very good but with much potential to improve.
Organic since 2010 now changing to biodynamic. Two plots acquired at different times – with separate elevage – but the two are blended before bottling – First vintage in 2016 before buying a neighbouring parcel in 2017 – ‘I thought it might be better soil for chardonnay but these were good older vines’
Lightly paler colour. Open – quite a wide nose, subtly reductive and stony. Direct, cool, a mouth-watering and so fluid delivery of complex, lip-smacking flavour. The energy and easy drinkability is a heady mix – almost a vin dangeroux. Simply excellent wine potentially a great 21!
2021 Rully 1er Les Cloux
The fourth vintage here
Again, slightly lighter colour – but modestly so. An airy width of red fruit and a slightly rounder, sweeter, warmer impression – perhaps from the barrel. Yes there’s a hint of creaminess from the barrel but a wine of silk to start and more velvet as the frame of tannin becomes visible. But broad and completely delicious finishing with a hint of sweetness at the end – perhaps also of the barrel.
Les Whites:
2022 Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Les Clous Aimé
Chardonnay from multiple parcels in Bouzeron with a little more depth of soil, mainly south, south-west facing – ‘You press chardonnay differently to the aligoté as the skin is less thick and spicy.’ Elevage in foudres and barrels. Probably to be bottled just after the Bouzeron.
This nose is a little compact – this wine is cold – but at the base is sweetness and the top notes airy and almost with a sherbet energy. In the mouth open, melting a little roundness and then a very attractive burst of finishing flavour. Delicious.
2022 Rully St.Jacques
‘We had frost here in 21 so there was no wine – so I’m happy to offer it again!’
An extra ripeness of yellow citrus – but not just! I wont say strict but there’s just a hint more emphasis on the architecture of this wine despite a couple of mm of cushion. Just beautifully finishing – actually, a great finish!
Now for some 2021s…
“In 21 we were strongly frosted – we normally have 6 premier crus but most were assembled due to low volumes – Rabourcey, Raclot, Clous Blanc, Montpalais and Margoté were blended. It’s the union of the north and south of the appellation:”
2021 Rully 1er Cru
A clean width of subtly spiced aroma, slightly cushioned with a big invitation. Hmm – fluid seems to be my word du jour here – but this flavour is so clean and mobile over the palate – way too easy to drink – and appreciate – the two are not always associated. A small peak of finishing flavour that fades – but only slowly fades. That’s an excellent wine and one that you may, once more, find the bottle emptying alarmingly fast!
2021 Rully 1er Gresigny
The next vineyard north after Margotés, generally with older vines – when we acquired in 2011 I considered replanting as I almost had the impression of abandonment but these vines were double my age at the time – 80 or so – and the quality of the grapes was just so impressive. These are always the last vines that we prune for the new year – a place for the massale selections. The only Rully cru that had separate elevage in 2021.
You sense directly the citrus bitters on the nose here – almost tending towards a faint reduction. Also fluid like the last – but here with extra precision in the shapes and delivery of its flavours. The finish more stony and even faintly tannic. It’s the dance between the fruit and the bitters – bitters from the fruit and the barrel.
2021 Saint Aubin 1er Les Perrières
Citrus freshness but with a more stony core of aroma and floral freshness. Extra breadth and clarity. An airy presence in the middle flavours. Flavour that slowly crystallises in the finish – here it’s more structural with a frame of tannin – small flashes of citrus lasting long. Wonderful stuff!
Normally, 17 different parcel averaging 65 years old, but the oldest are 115 years old and the source of further plantings.
A deeper register of aroma – the wine and the vintage – but with breaths of higher tones that remind me of iris blooms. So fine in the mouth – clearly there’s concentration but it’s delivered in an airy style – the middle to finishing flavours are excellently detailed and focused – and, importantly, just so delicious! Bravo!