La Digoine is one of those Burgundies that makes its appellation feel almost beside the point. The vineyard sits at the foot of the slope in Bouzeron, where deeper soils give Pinot Noir more substance than the domaine’s higher, leaner sites. Domaine de Villaine notes that this lieu-dit has been known for centuries for the quality of its red wine, and the estate keeps yields moderate to preserve concentration. The result is a vineyard-designated Burgundy with a track record of aging far beyond what many buyers expect from Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise. Domaine de Villaine Domaine de Villaine has farmed organically for decades, beginning conversion in 1986 and achieving certification in 1997. Today the estate is directed by Pierre de Benoist, who continues the domaine’s emphasis on manual harvesting, strict sorting, natural vinification, and restrained use of new oak so that the character of the vineyard remains visible. In La Digoine, that philosophy matters because the site itself is the story: Pinot Noir rooted in deeper clay-and-limestone soils, grown in a corner of the Côte Chalonnaise the domaine has spent decades arguing deserves to be taken seriously. Domaine de Villaine For 2024, the domaine describes a wine with blackcurrant, crushed strawberry, and cherry, carried by silky tannins and an almost saline finish. There is flesh on the palate, but also the tension and energy that keep the wine moving. Domaine de Villaine recommends giving it two to five years to fully reveal itself, while noting that La Digoine can continue developing for 12 to 15 years in a good cellar. That combination of immediate charm and genuine aging ability is exactly what makes this one of the Côte Chalonnaise’s most compelling Pinot Noirs. Domaine de Villaine