Bouzeron 2024 Domaine de Villaine | Burgundy

Description: Bouzeron 2024 | Domaine de Villaine

Domaine de Villaine’s Bouzeron 2024 holds a unique place in the Burgundy wine landscape. Bouzeron is the only appellation in the world dedicated exclusively toAligoté, and this status is no accident. In 1997, its recognition as a full-fledged appellation crowned years of groundwork carried out in the Côte Chalonnaise to revive a grape variety that had long been relegated to the background. Aubert de Villaine, who is also a co-owner of Domaine de La Romanée-Conti, was one of the artisans of this renaissance.

Terroirs and Grape Varieties

Aligoté Doré grows here on clay-limestone slopes, where the age of the vines varies exceptionally widely, ranging from 10 to 90 years. This mosaic of young and very old vines gives the wine both the liveliness of the former and the concentration of the latter.

Viticulture and Winemaking

The wine estate has been certified organic since 1997. The grapes are harvested by hand, with a meticulous initial sorting in the vineyard to select only the finest clusters. Slow, gentle pneumatic pressing preserves the fruit’s aromatic finesse, while fermentation with native yeasts takes place in oak barrels and vats. The wine then undergoes ageing for 10 to 12 months on fine lees, without stirring, to enhance its texture.

Bouzeron 2024 | Domaine de Villaine: The Sommelier’s Review

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin

Most people still think of Aligoté wines as being minimally processed, quickly vinified, and destined to be mixed into a kir. This Bouzeron is in a league of its own: it ages in large oak vats on fine lees for nearly a year, which gives it a true personality. This is the Aligoté as it should always be: precise, taut, and mineral, capable of aging for about ten years. Serve at around 12°C, without decanting, with a dish of shellfish or spring vegetables.

The Nose

The nose opens with the immediate, almost sharp freshness of fresh lemon and grapefruit, enhanced by notes of spring flowers. A hint of wet stone adds depth to the overall profile. For a 2024 vintage—a particularly challenging year in Burgundy—the flavor profile is already remarkably well-defined.

Palate

The palate is superb, with a rich, indulgent attack. White-fleshed fruits unfold, joined by hints of citrus and exotic fruits. The acid tension stretches the texture toward a crisp, mouthwatering finish. The overall balance reveals a true mastery of ripeness and winemaking.

Bouzeron: Everything You Need to Know About This Appellation

Bouzeron is a communal appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise, granted AOC status in 1997. It is the only appellation in Burgundy dedicated entirely toAligoté. The village’s clay-limestone soils, situated on well-oriented slopes, give this grape variety a mineral and taut character found nowhere else. The appellation remains exclusive, produced in limited quantities by a handful of serious wine estates.

Domaine de Villaine’s Bouzeron is undoubtedly the appellation’s benchmark wine. It embodiesAubert de Villaine’s ambitious vision for this grape variety, which—born of a favorable terroir and shaped by the hand of a talented winemaker—can claim the same level of attention as a great white from the Côte de Beaune. This 2024 vintage is one of the most convincing demonstrations of that.