Domaine De Villaine
Domaine de Villaine’s links to Rully stretch back to 1991. That was the first vintage of Rully Les Saint Jacques, a much-loved Rully village, which we still offer as part of the C&B annual January Burgundy release.
However, the story of the Rully premiers crus starts 20 years later, in 2011, with the addition of Rully 1er Cru Grésigny.
The next acquisition, in 2015, was of plots in the Rully premiers crus Montpalais and Margotés. Domaine de Villaine’s first vintage from these plots was 2016. They added a total of 2.21 hectares to the domaine’s holdings.
The most recent acquisition was born out of an old friendship between Pierre de Benoist and the Bodard family, owners of Rully’s Domaine Saint-Michel since the 19th century. Pierre had in fact made the wines for them in 2004 and 2005, but it was not until 2017 that they offered him the chance to buy the estate.
As Pierre tells it, with typically understated excitement, the domaine’s premiers crus – Rabourcé, Raclot and Les Cloux – made it “difficult to refuse”. (The domaine buildings are also beautiful – the majestic vaulted cellars would be ideal for a dinner – watch this space…) The purchase went through that same year, 2017. Having sold off some parcels of Pinot Noir and non-premier cru Chardonnay, Pierre began converting the remaining plots to organic and biodynamic viticulture swiftly thereafter.
As Pierre tells it, with typically understated excitement, the domaine’s premiers crus – Rabourcé, Raclot and Les Cloux – made it “difficult to refuse”. (The domaine buildings are also beautiful – the majestic vaulted cellars would be ideal for a dinner – watch this space…) The purchase went through that same year, 2017. Having sold off some parcels of Pinot Noir and non-premier cru Chardonnay, Pierre began converting the remaining plots to organic and biodynamic viticulture swiftly thereafter. The property was renamed Domaine de Villaine, adding a further 5.68 hectares and increasing the domaine’s holdings to 29.33 hectares. If you are perplexed, as I was, by the philosphical implications of two Domaine de Villaines, think of it as one entity, which just happens to have two sets of domaine buildings. Vinification and élevage of the Rullys will take place in Rully and the Aligoté (and the much-loved red Mercurey) in Bouzeron. Simple really.
Whilst Bouzeron and the Aligoté grape will continue to be fundamental to the domaine’s DNA, this represents an exciting shift in its centre of gravity towards Rully and top flight, terroir driven Chardonnay.