Description: Burgundy Côte Chalonnaise La Fortune 2024 | Domaine de Villaine
The Burgundy Côte Chalonnaise La Fortune 2024 is an exclusive cuvée from Domaine de Villaine, produced in very limited quantities. The La Fortune vineyard is directly adjacent to the La Digoine parcel, the wine estate’s benchmark regional cuvée. Same terroir, same exposure: only the age of the vines makes a difference. Being younger, these vines yield a wine with a tenderness and fruity frankness not found in La Digoine, which is more austere in its youth.
Terroir and Grape Variety
The La Fortune vineyard site rests on deep clay-limestone soils, ideal for the root system of Pinot Noir and for producing a wine that is both dense and airy. The vines, ranging from 20 to 25 years old, draw natural freshness from this limestone subsoil. The plot’s exposure, identical to that of La Digoine, promotes even ripening and a very pure aromatic expression. The relative youth of the vines gives the wine a profile characterized by vibrant fruit, without sacrificing finesse.
Viticulture and Winemaking
The wine estate has practicedcertified organic farming since 1997, combined with a biodynamic approach to vineyard management. The harvest is done by hand, with meticulous sorting of the grapes to select only the finest clusters. Winemaking relies on a long maceration period with daily punch-downs, allowing for gentle and precise extraction. Ageing lasts 12 months in used oak barrels. Bottling is done without fining or filtration, preserving the wine’s integrity.
Burgundy Côte Chalonnaise La Fortune 2024 | Domaine de Villaine: The Sommelier’s Review
Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin
La Fortune is a very limited-production cuvée, sold exclusively to professionals. Pierre de Benoist and Aubert De Villaine have chosen to keep yields as low as possible in order to extract the very best from the terroir. The result is a wine of great delicacy and surprising candor. Compared to La Digoine, it opens up earlier and more generously. It can be enjoyed now, with an ideal drinking window between 2027 and 2033. It is best served around 16°C, and decanting for about twenty minutes may help release the fruit.
The Nose
The nose opens with a basket of vibrant red fruits: blueberry, blackcurrant, and redcurrant dominate, with an almost crisp, fresh fruitiness. A floral hint of violet punctuates the bouquet. A few subtle peppery and spicy notes slip in discreetly. The expression remains very pure, direct, and uncomplicated.
Palate
On the palate, the attack is fresh and vibrant. The texture is enveloping, carried by notes of wild strawberries and juicy raspberries. The tannins are silky and delicate: they provide structure without ever being overpowering. The acidity maintains a lovely overall tension, making the wine particularly easy to drink. The finish is fruity, clean, and mouthwatering.
The Côte Chalonnaise: Everything You Need to Know About This Appellation
The Côte Chalonnaise stretches south of the Côte de Beaune, between Chagny and Montagny. This region of Burgundy produces red wines made from Pinot Noir on predominantly clay-limestone soils, sometimes with marl. Less well-known than the Côte d’Or, it offers characterful wines at more accessible price points. The village appellations of Mercurey, Givry, and Rully are its recognized jewels.
The Domaine de Villaine’s Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Fortune 2024 showcases the uniqueness of this terroir far beyond the appellation’s standards, driven by the methodical rigor of a leading wine estate applied to an exclusive lieu-dit.