Selection of Burgundy: Domaine De Villaine

Domaine de Villaine is located in Bouzeron, nestled in the Côte Chalonnaise region between Chassagne-Montrachet and Santenay to the north and Rully and Mercurey to the south.
Planted with vines by the monks of Cluny in the Middle Ages, this small, sunny valley has a rich and lengthy tradition of producing quality wines which reflect their exceptional terroir.

Here, 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.

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 character: dry, yet delicate, and distinguished by roundness and finesse so cherished in the 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 separate Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée status among Bourgogne Aligotés, and 1997 saw the creation of the full-fledged separate Bouzeron Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée.

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 severe pruning and occasional pre-harvest thinning. The domain's harvests average about 20% lower than the yields authorized by the already-stringent AC regulations.