2024 Domaine A. et P. de Villaine Bouzeron, Burgundy, France

ABOUT THE WINE

Domaine de Villaine’s Bouzeron comes from 17 parcels of Aligoté Doré distributed throughout the village appellation, planted exclusively on the upper slopes. Since settling in Bouzeron in 1973, the domaine has propagated selections from the village’s old vines of Aligoté Doré, a naturally lower-yielding form of Aligoté prized for producing finer, more aromatic wines than the more common Aligoté Vert.

The terroir is fundamental to the wine’s character. Bouzeron’s steep, limestone-rich slopes rise roughly 270 to 350 meters, naturally limiting yields while providing favorable conditions for ripening. For the 2024, the domaine particularly emphasizes the white marl of the upper slopes: combined with ripe Aligoté Doré fruit, it gives the wine an unusual sense of roundness without sacrificing freshness or mineral tension.

Harvesting and sorting are performed by hand before the whole grapes are transferred directly to a pneumatic press. Pressing is slow and gentle to obtain clear juice without astringency. Fermentation takes place in a combination of vessels, including tanks and oak foudres, with temperature controlled to preserve freshness and the wine’s distinctive aromatic character.

The 2024 is especially expressive, with a direct, powerful nose of chalk, hawthorn, and acacia. On the palate, ripe fruit provides density and roundness, balanced by incisive freshness and a mineral pulse. A subtle, appetizing bitterness extends the finish and makes the wine particularly refreshing. Enjoy it young for its energy and fruit, or cellar it—the domaine notes that Bouzeron can gain richness and breadth over as much as a decade. Serve around 54°F/12°C with oysters and shellfish, grilled fish, goat cheese, Beaufort, Cantal, Parmesan, or Roquefort.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER

Domaine de Villaine is based in Bouzeron, the first village of the Côte Chalonnaise south of Beaune, between Santenay, Rully, and Mercurey. Aubert and Pamela de Villaine established themselves here in the early 1970s, championing a village whose association with Aligoté stretches back centuries. Bouzeron ultimately received its own village appellation in 1997, making it unique in Burgundy for an appellation centered on Aligoté.

The estate's identity is inseparable from Aligoté Doré. Rather than treating Aligoté as a secondary variety destined for richer, flatter land, Domaine de Villaine cultivates it on Bouzeron’s prized slopes and works with selections chosen for modest yields, aromatic finesse, and their affinity with the village’s limestone terroir. This commitment helped demonstrate that Aligoté could produce serious, nuanced, age-worthy Burgundy when planted and farmed with the same attention afforded Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The domaine’s philosophy favors careful vineyard work and restrained cellar techniques that allow variety and site to remain clearly visible. Its Bouzeron is perhaps the purest expression of that philosophy: a wine that elevates Aligoté Doré through old Burgundian tradition, meticulous farming, and the distinctive mineral character of Bouzeron’s hillsides.