2017 Gigondas “Terrasse du Diable”Domaine Les Pallières
France | Southern Rhône
$40
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Producers
For Domaine de Villaine, the 2017 vintage marks twenty years of life as a village-level Bouzeron AOC instead of a regional Bourgogne Aligoté, due, in large part, to the conviction of Pierre de Benoist and his oncle, Aubert de Villaine. As climate change sets in on Burgundy, Pierre is doing his part to ensure a bright future for his beloved Bouzeron. In addition to working organically and biodynamically, he created an Aligoté nursery to preserve the most well-adapted, genetically diverse, ancient clones. A deep and spiritual thinker, Pierre tends to evoke the celestial when describing his wines, and indeed there is something otherworldly about the vibrant and crystalline 2017 vintage.
—Jane Berg
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2017 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Aligoté Doré |
Appellation: | Bouzeron |
Country: | France |
Region: | Burgundy |
Producer: | Domaine A. & P. de Villaine |
Winemaker: | Aubert de Villaine |
Vineyard: | 10 - 90 years old, 12.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Marl |
Aging: | The wine is raised for 10 to 12 months depending on the vintage |
Alcohol: | 13% |
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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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For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa