2011 A et P de Villaine - Bouzeron Aligote

The 2011 Bouzeron is an absolute gem – the kind of wine you want to take home and marry. It has a perfectly tuned bouquet that offers beautifully defined scents of honeysuckle, jasmine and citrus peel. Observing the glass over an hour it gains more and more intensity without losing focus. The palate is extremely well-balanced with a silver thread of acidity and an almost piercing citric freshness. This Bouzeron is imbued with great tension and the finish is almost clinical in terms of focus. Who needs Chardonnay when Aligote can offer this much pleasure? Drink now-2019+ While Aubert de Villaine is synonymous with Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, there is no question that at least one ventricle of his heart is devoted to his personal estate in Bouzeron that he bought with his wife Pamela in the 1970s. I think it is partly responsible for Aubert remaining such a down-to-earth personality, when others might have succumbed to self-aggrandizement occupying such a position. Pierre de Benoist, Aubert’s nephew, has been at the helm since 2000. As you might expect, these are well-crafted wines that are often understated and nuanced, occasionally utterly beguiling. The Bouzeron comes from Aligote dore rather than Aligote vert, which de Villaine feels is more aromatic thanks to its lower yields. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524; and Corney & Barrow in the UK.