Domaine de Villaine
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.

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.
Technical Information
Wine | Blend | Vine Age | Soil Type | Vineyard Area* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bouzeron |
Aligoté Doré | 10 - 90 years | Clay, Limestone, Marl | 12.5 ha |
Bourgogne Blanc Les Clous Aimé |
Chardonnay | 20 - 55 years | Clay, Limestone | 3.4 ha |
Rully Blanc Les Saint-Jacques |
Chardonnay | 17 years | Clay, Limestone, Silt | 1.7 ha |
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Grésigny |
Chardonnay | 85 years | Clay, Limestone, Gray Marl | .55 ha |
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Montpalais |
Chardonnay | 10 years | Clay, Limestone, Sand | .4 ha |
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Les Margotés |
Chardonnay | 20-60 years | White clay, Limestone | 1 ha |
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Rabourcé |
Chardonnay | 50 years average | Clay, Limestone | 2.36 ha |
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Raclot |
Chardonnay | 25 years average | Clay, Limestone | .40 ha |
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Cloux |
Chardonnay | 45 years average | Clay, Limestone | 1.10 ha |
Saint-Aubin Blanc 1er Cru Les Perrières |
Chardonnay | 20 years average | Clay, Limestone | .42 ha |
Bourgogne Rouge La Fortune |
Pinot Noir | 20 - 25 years | Clay, Limestone | 2.3 ha |
Bourgogne Rouge Les Clous |
Pinot Noir | 20 - 25 years | Clay, Limestone | .43 ha |
Bourgogne Rouge La Digoine |
Pinot Noir | 35 - 45 years | Clay, Limestone | 1.8 ha |
Mercurey Rouge Les Montots |
Pinot Noir | 40 - 50 years | Clay, Limestone | 1.6 ha |
Rully Rouge 1er Cru Cloux |
Pinot Noir | 45 years average | Clay, Limestone | .71 ha |
Rully Rouge 1er Cru Les Champs Cloux |
Pinot Noir | 45 years average | Clay, Limestone | 1.9 ha |
Santenay Rouge 1er Cru Passetemps |
Pinot Noir | 45 years | Clay | .73 ha |
Bourgogne Rouge |
Pinot Noir | 25-45 years old | Clay, limestone | n/a |
* "ha" = hectares; one hectare equals roughly two and a half acres |
VITICULTURE / VINIFICATION
Bouzeron:
• Wine is vinified in wood foudres, capacity of 30-40 hecto-liters
• The only intervention during fermentation and aging of wine is the maintaining of temperature between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius
• Each parcel is pressed separately in a small pneumatic press
• The must is put in stainless steel for a 24-36 hour cold-soak, then the wine is transferred to foudre where it stays for fermentation and élevage
• The lees are never stirred unless it is needed (in the case of reduction for example)
• The wine is raised for 10-12 months depending on the vintage
Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise Les Clous Aimé & Rully Les Saints Jacques:
• Fermentation and raising of the wine are identical to the Bouzeron, except 80% of the fermentation and aging is in foudre and 20% is in barrel
Saint-Aubin Blanc 1er Cru Les Perrières:
• Fermented 12 days in demi-muid and barrel
• Malolactic fermentation in demi-muid and barrel
• Aged in demi-muid and barrel 12-18 months
• Aged in bottle 2-6 months
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Grésigny:
• Fermented 25 days in barrel
• Malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Aged in barrel 12-18 months, 25% new wood
• Aged in bottle 12 months
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Montpalais:
• Fermented 8 days in barrel
• Malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Aged in barrel 12-18 months, 25% new wood
• Aged in bottle 12 months
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Les Margotés:
• Fermented and aged in foudre
• Malolactic fermentation in foudre
• Aged for 12-18 months
• Aged in bottle 12 months
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Rabourcé:
• Fermented and aged in foudre
• Malolactic fermentation in foudre
• Aged for 12-18 months
• Aged in bottle 1-4 months
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Raclot:
• Fermented and aged in demi-muids and barrel
• Aged for 12-18 months, no new oak
• Aged in bottle 12 months
Rully Blanc 1er Cru Cloux:
• Fermented and aged in foudre, demi-muids, and barrel
• Aged for 12-18 months, 10% of demi-muids are new oak
• Aged in bottle 8-12 months
Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Fortune, Les Clous, & La Digoine
• Careful selection and sorting of the grapes is done in the vineyard
• Wine is fermented and aged in wood tanks with a minimum 2/3 of the stems, depending on the vintage
• The wine stays in tank for 10-12 days, so as to add extra skin tannins and just a little tannin from the seeds and stems
• After alcoholic fermentation, the wine and must are separated and the must is pressed
• The pressed must is tasted separately and sometimes blended back into the wine
• The wine is raised for 10-12 months depending on the vintage
Mercurey Les Montots:
• Fermentation and aging is identical to the Fortune and Digoine except the wine stays in tank for 14-17 days during fermentation
• In general, this style of fermentation depends exclusively on the quality of the grapes that enters the cellar. The balance and vibrancy in these wines comes from the quality of the grapes, the level of maturity, their cleanliness, and the quality of the skin. If everything is in balance, the wines will express their village of origin to reveal their native terroir.
Rully Rouge 1er Cru Les Champs Cloux, 1er Cru Cloux:
• 100% wholecluster fermentation
• Aged 12-18 months in demi-muids or barrel, no new oak
• Aged in bottle 2-6 months
Santenay Rouge 1er Cru Passetemps:
• Fermented 22 days in open wood tank
• Pumpovers at the beginning of fermentation, punchdowns and pumpovers at the end of fermentation
• Malolactic fermentation in barrel
• Aged in barrel 12-18 months, 10% new wood
• Aged in bottle 12 months
Bourgogne Rouge:
· Produced exclusively in the 2021 vintage due to low yields, this Bourgogne is made from the terroirs of Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Fortune and La Digoine, Mercurey Les Montots and Santenay Rouge 1er Cru Passetemps
General Information
- Country
- France
- Region
- Burgundy
- Appellation(s)
- Bourgogne, Rully, Mercurey, Bouzeron
- Producer
- Aubert de Villaine
- Founded
- 1971
- Annual Production
- 11,000
- Farming
- Organic (certified)
- Website
- http://www.de-villaine.com