2012 A. ET P. DE VILLAINES: A GOOD VINTAGE - (8/25/2014)
2012 A. et P. de Villaine Aligoté Bouzeron - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Bouzeron
Pale, lemony colour. A bouquet of lemons, limes and blackboard chalk, with some talcum powder and steely minerality. A fresh, vibrant entry to the palate, with citric and malic flavours in in the mid palate, lively acidity, finishing on tart crab apples, greengages and chalky minerals. Decent fruit weight, structure and power, with some richness and viscosity. A good example of one of my favourite Aligoté, excellent QPR. Will cellar for 3-5 years, I’d say. (89 pts.)
2012 A. et P. de Villaine Bourgogne Blanc Les Clous - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
Colour light, a little brighter than the Rully. A fresh bouquet of yellow orchard fruits, straw, citrus and wet stone. Brighter, fresher, with seemingly more acid than the Rully. Also, more straightforward flavour profile than the Rully, of lemons, apples and pears, with a touch of steely minerality, showing less oak. Good volume and well balanced. Drinking well now. It will drink in this style over the next few years, I would think. As with all of the range, great QPR. (88 pts.)
2012 A. et P. de Villaine Rully Les Saints-Jacques - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Rully
Colour light, bright gold. A pleasant but restrained bouquet. A nose of lemons, oatmeal, apples and some blanched nuts. There is a little spicy oak on bouquet. On palate, ripe but quite precise and well balanced, with some phenolics on the back palate. The guys I served it to blind were thinking Côte de Beaune - debating Puligny versus Meursault - not Côte Chalonnaise. The flavours are citric, blanched almonds and pears. The Rully has that 2012 richness, good mid palate stuffing and structure and there is some oak on palate, but is in no way overdone. Drink now, but it would probably benefit from 2-3 years in the cellar. A classy white Burgundy, delivering good value. (90 pts.)
2012 A. et P. de Villaine Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Fortune - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise
Colour deep, clean purple red. A lovely, expressive, musky nose of very dark fruit. Deep and rich. Also rich and ripe fruit on palate, some sweetness. Fairly glossy and broad, with plenty of dry extract. Tart flavours of red and dark cherries, strawberries, with some savoury notes and earth. Presently a little closed but not at all tannic or lean. Would probably benefit from 3+ years in the cellar. However after two days later open, the Fortune was more open textured than the Digoine. (90 pts.)
2012 A. et P. de Villaine Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise La Digoine - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise
Slightly lighter red than the Fortune. A nose of pure dark and red berries, damp earth, a little spice and some dark flowers. A more backward wine than the Fortune, more tannic but with fine grained tannins. Also more prominent acids. Additionally, the wine is quite rich with a suggestion of roasted flavours, also tart cherries, cranberry and raspberry. Also a hint of cherry cola. Very pure and elegant, some chalk and minerals on the back palate. The Digoine really needs 3-5 years more cellar time. I would hold the wine longer than the Fortune. A more serious wine than the Fortune, and less approachable. After about six hours later it began to further shut down. (89 pts.)
2012 A. et P. de Villaine Mercurey Les Montots - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey
Colour nice ruby, a little lighter. Beetroot, stewed plums and a little spice on the nose on opening. With time raspberries, cherries and cranberries, also earth and a slightly feral, mushroomy element I like and some crushed dried herbs. Polished dark cherries with some grip on the mid and back palate. Some tannins but they are small and spherical. The acidity provides some tartness but overall this is quite voluptuous. Good fruit weight and structure. Energetic. Drink now or hold medium term. The best of the reds. (90 pts.)
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