Rully 1er Cru Margotés 2023 Domaine de Villaine | Burgundy

Description: Rully 1er Cru Margotés 2023 | Domaine de Villaine

Domaine de Villaine’s Rully 1er Cru Les Margotés 2023 was first released in 2015. Produced on just 0.40 hectares, this exclusive premier cru embodies all the high standards and ambitionof Aubert de Villaine, founder of the wine estate in the 1970s and co-manager of Romanée-Conti.

Terroir and Grape Variety

The Margotés vineyard is located at the southern end of one of the best-exposed slopes in the Rully 1er Cru appellation. The southeast-facing slope is ideal for allowing the Chardonnay to reach optimal levels of ripeness, while the windy nature of the plot limits excessive heat and maintains a natural freshness in each berry. The poor, naturally well-drained, light clay-limestone soils—resting on a slightly marly limestone subsoil—constrain the vines’ yields, thereby concentrating their aromatic expression. Here, the Chardonnay finds all the tension and minerality it needs.

Viticulture and Winemaking

The wine estate cultivates its vines using certified organic farming methods. The grapes are left on the vine as long as possible, until they reach optimal natural ripeness. The grapes are harvested by hand during a hand harvest and then pressed as whole clusters. The naturally settled juice is then transferred to oak barrels and vats for fermentation, which occurs exclusively with native yeasts.Ageing lasts between 12 and 18 months on the lees, without stirring, to nourish the wine without losing its acidity. After bottling, the wine is allowed to rest for an additional year before release.

Rully 1er Cru Margotés 2023 | Domaine de Villaine: The Sommelier’s Review

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin

This 2023 Margotés is a wine of precision and finesse. The well-ventilated terroir and very low yields produce a crisp and crystal-clear Chardonnay that makes no compromises. It is the purest expression of the limestone terroirs of the Côte Chalonnaise. The ideal drinking window is between 2028 and 2033, but it’s already very enjoyable today, with its youthful freshness. Serve between 12 and 14°C, without decanting, with a beautifully seared Arctic char (skin-on), a lemon verbena beurre blanc, and lovely roasted asparagus.

The Nose

The nose opens with delicate white flowers and white-fleshed fruits. A note of fresh almond lingers in the background, while undertones of chalk and damp stone lend an immediate and precise minerality. A subtle buttery touch reveals a masterfully managed ageing process that is already well-integrated. The overall impression is refined, dense, and without excess.

The Palate

On the palate, the attack is creamy, almost enveloping. The wine then reveals its true nature: taut, fresh, with remarkable purity of juice. The vibrant acidity structures the wine without ever hardening the roundness of the white fruit aromas. The finish is long, slightly salty, with a noble bitterness from the grape skins that refreshes the palate. Exceptionally easy to drink!

Rully 1er Cru: Everything You Need to Know About This Appellation

The Rully appellation is part of the Côte Chalonnaise, a region of east-facing hills that extends the Côte de Beaune southward. The soils there alternate between clay and limestone, giving the white wines a tension and minerality that the more northern Côtes do not always possess. Chardonnay reigns supreme among the white wines. Here, it expresses an understated, precise elegance that is often underestimated compared to its more famous neighbors. The appellation boasts several Premier Crus, among which Les Margotés ranks as one of the most exclusive.