Domaine A. et P. de Villaine Rully 1er Cru Raclot AOC 2019

The Domaine A. et P. de Villaine winery was established in 1971 by the family couple — Aubert and Pamela de Villaine. The letters A and P in the name stand for Aubert and Pamela. The estate is located in the small town of Buzeron, situated on the gentle hills of Côte Chalonnaise in Burgundy. Buzeron has a rich long-standing tradition of producing high-quality wines. This terroir was first highly regarded in the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, monks from the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny planted vineyards in the vicinity of Buzeron, whose location has remained unchanged for centuries. The grapes here grow on the slopes of the hills, allowing the vines to receive maximum sunlight. The nutrient-poor limestone soils serve as a natural limiter of yield, while the warm microclimate of the valley promotes rapid ripening of the berries. Aubert de Villaine is the heir of the famous Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), whose wines are considered among the best not only in France but also in the world. Aubert spent his youth in the USA, where he met his wife Pamela. Initially, he studied literature and law, later working for a company that imported Burgundy wines. In 1971, Aubert returned to France to take up the rights of co-owner and manager of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Not wanting to live and work in the same place, Aubert and Pamela began searching for a quiet corner. Thus, they ended up in the town of Buzeron. Impressed by the quality of the locally grown Aligoté grapes, Aubert decided to settle in Buzeron. Initially, his holdings were very small — about 8 hectares. Aubert began making wine from his own grapes. The remoteness of Buzeron allowed Aubert to engage in winemaking for his own pleasure, without worrying about maintaining an international reputation. The first vintage of excellent wine was ready in 1973. Aubert de Villaine chose a path different from most Burgundy winemakers. He focused on growing Aligoté grapes, specifically "golden Aligoté" (Aligote doree). The fact is that Burgundy winemakers generally regard Aligoté with disdain, considering it suitable only for cheap table wine. Once quite popular, Aligoté was subsequently almost completely displaced by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The reason for this was the destruction of the vines by phylloxera in the mid-19th century, to which Aligoté proved extremely susceptible. Impressed by the results achieved by de Villaine, neighboring estates became interested in this grape variety, and today Buzeron is the only appellation in Burgundy specializing exclusively in Aligoté Dore. Since the early 1980s, organic winemaking technologies began to be implemented at Domaine de Villaine. The idea was initiated by Pamela — while caring for her garden, she always used only natural methods of plant care. As a result, in 1986, the de Villaine estate received official "organic" status. The next stage in the history of Domaine de Villaine is linked to the New World. In 2000, Aubert de Villaine, together with Larry Hyde, Pamela's cousin and manager of Hyde Vineyard in California, opened a family business HdV (Hyde de Villaine). Thus, at that time, Aubert was actively involved in the work of three wineries. To relieve some of the burden, he decided to pass the position of manager of Domaine de Villaine to his nephew — Pierre de Benoit, who comes from a family of hereditary winemakers owning the Domaine du Nozay winery in Sancerre. Although Pierre spent his entire childhood among vineyards and wineries, he had no desire to engage in the family business. Instead, Pierre obtained a law degree and lived and worked in Paris for a long time. However, according to him, he was the son of a winemaker, and this occupation was in his blood. Therefore, when Aubert asked him in 2000 to head Domaine de Villaine, Pierre agreed. He significantly expanded the estate's territory by purchasing plots in the neighboring villages of Rully and Mercurey. In addition to the main variety — Aligoté — Chardonnay and Pinot Noir began to be cultivated on the estate's vineyards. Today, Pierre manages the entrusted winery, remaining true to the traditions of high quality established by Aubert de Villaine.