TN: 2005 Chez de Villaine

[Florida Jim]

Domaine A. et P. de Villaine, make some of my favorite Burgundy varietals from their vineyards on the Côte Chalonnaise. In a vaunted vintage like 2005, I was excited to get to taste their wines.

Of course, Aubert de Villaine’s “day job” is at DRC where organic viticulture, low yields, manual harvesting, strict sorting and natural vinification are the norm. He operates his own estate the same way and the wines, year in and year out, demonstrate that attention.

These are imported by Kermit Lynch and all report in at 12.5% alcohol.

First up was the Bourgogne (blanc), Les Clous which, as anyone who buys the wine regularly can tell you, is meant to be aged (minimum 5-7 years).

On day one it was very tight both aromatically and in the mouth but showed Chablis-like structure, solid minerality and ripe fruit peeking through. But drinking this now is silly; it is barely a suggestion of what is to come.

On day two, it’s tight but some of the light oak (as it should be used – to barely frame the wine), ripe fruits, complexity and remarkable finesse shows through. Not fully integrated but showing enough depth, character, structure and style to convince me that I need to buy a healthy number of bottles.

About $25; I’d buy it again.

Next, was the Bourgogne (rouge), La Fortune that is made from younger vines and intended to be drunk in its first five years of life.

On day one, this was exuberantly spicy, intensely fruited, and bursting with fresh fruit scents and flavors. I am delighted to find little evidence of wood, brisk acidity and precise balance even as this bottle delivers potent flavors and some grip.

On day two, the spice has toned down a bit but it’s augmented with fresh black cherry flavors; it also exhibits more textural density. Lovely for drinking now or short term cellaring.

About $25; I’d buy it again.

The Bourgogne, La Digoine is produced from a vineyard near La Fortune with the same exposition but with older vines. While usually drinkable on release, it requires a decade in bottle to fully develop.

On day one, it was reserved showing black fruit, loam and stones on the nose; firmer on the palate yet with old vine sap apparent and showing more length and grip than the preceding wine. Obviously, needs some time.

On day two, this is still firm, focused and stony but there’s more “there” there in terms of both its depth and character. Fuller at mid-palate yet quite youthful and vigorous, this is very much the kind of Burgundy I want in my cellar and clearly, it requires cellaring.

About $30; I’d buy it again.

Lastly, the Mercury, Les Montots is from a vineyard situated on a steep slope with a southern exposure and the vines were originally selected from Nuits-Saint-Georges. This wine often does not show it’s all until seven plus years in the bottle and will develop for twenty.

On day one this is darker and almost brooding on the nose but with some floral high notes; focused and structured in the mouth it shows meat, earth and fresh herb tones that are more opulent than the preceding wine, and it has a long finish with considerable grip. Upon tasting, my first thought is that this should be served with duck; it has the concentration and cut for the dish and the flavors seem to call out for dark meat poultry. Also needs time.

On day two, primary and substantial both on the nose and palate but with more breadth than the preceding reds and a sappy, slightly rustic delivery that again, calls out for duck. So young but so expressive.

About $35; I’d buy it again.

None of these wines remind me of anything else; all are clearly different from each other and of their place. They are also true to previous vintages but, I think, more amplified and precise. This producer understands and intends that terroir, however you define it, be present in its wines. Moreover, the textures here suggest that these wines have not been “fooled with;” rather, they are supple, clean, authentic, and, better still, seem to be “alive.”

All too often I find myself compromising when it comes to Burgundy varietals vis-à-vis their current prices. Here, at last, are wines where no compromise is required. Each is a beautiful and faithful expression of the vintage, place and maker.

My wife says these are the poor man’s DRC and I understand the reference. But these are more genuine than that; no attempt as been made to reproduce that which can not be reproduced; rather each are the essence of their unique vinous moment.

God bless Aubert de Villaine.

Best, Jim

[MaxH]

Domaine A. et P. de Villaine ... imported by Kermit Lynch.

The Bourgogne, La Digoine ... About $30

The Mercury, Les Montots ... About $35

1. Inflation! From my notes at the time, I paid $5.85 for the 1980 Digoine when it was new (which is about what basic Bourgognes Rouges cost in the US for many years, by the way) and $19 for the 1995 Montots (on recommendation of a wine-tasting buddy, Claude Kolm).

2. Note emphasis on the Côte Challonnaise, which has a reputation as a source of good values.

3. Thanks for the excellent notes, Jim!