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2021 Rully Blanc 1er Cru
Domaine de Villaine
When the universe sends harsh weather your way, what do you do? If you’re Pierre de Benoist, you make a pure and remarkably aromatic Chardonnay. Hailstorms destroyed much of the 2021 crop. So instead of producing six separate premier cru bottlings, he blended them together into a single cuvée, balancing each parcel’s unique character in a delicate harmony. Ripe pear plays against tart lemon curd, while the richness of the fruit contrasts with the well-defined mineral structure. A refined bitterness punctuates the long, elegant finish, promising that this blanc can be enjoyed for years to come. But you should open a bottle today; it absolutely dazzles now, so don’t miss this rare offering from Domaine de Villaine.
—Meghan Foley
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chardonnay |
Appellation: | Rully |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine A. & P. de Villaine |
Winemaker: | Pierre de Benoist |
Vineyard: | 10-85 years |
Soil: | Clay, limestone with sand, marl, and silt |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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About The Producer
Domaine A. & P. de Villaine
About The Region
Burgundy
In eastern central France, Burgundy is nestled between the wine regions of Champagne to the north, the Jura to the east, the Loire to the west, and the Rhône to the south. This is the terroir par excellence for producing world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The southeast-facing hillside between Dijon in the north and Maranges in the south is known as the Côte d’Or or “golden slope.” The Côte d’Or comprises two main sections, both composed of limestone and clay soils: the Côte de Nuits in the northern sector, and the Côte de Beaune in the south. Both areas produce magnificent whites and reds, although the Côte de Beaune produces more white wine and the Côte de Nuits more red.
Chablis is Burgundy’s northern outpost, known for its flinty and age-worthy Chardonnays planted in Kimmeridgian limestone on an ancient seabed. Vézelay is a smaller area south of Chablis with similar qualities, although the limestone there is not Kimmeridgian.
To the south of the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise extends from Chagny on its northern end, down past Chalon-sur-Saône and encompasses the appellations of Bouzeron in the north, followed by Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny.
Directly south of the Chalonnaise begins the Côte Mâconnais, which extends south past Mâcon to the hamlets of Fuissé, Vinzelles, Chaintré, and Saint-Véran. The Mâconnais is prime Chardonnay country and contains an incredible diversity of soils.
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Where the newsletter started

Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch