By Bruce Neyers

Thursday 13th January, 2022

I met a slew of great winemakers in my quarter century working with Kermit Lynch, but not one of them stood taller than Aubert deVillaine. Aubert has a combination of worldly sophistication and intellectual aplomb, so it’s understandable that many refer to him as ‘Mister Burgundy.’ Moreover, as the quality of wine from Burgundy has improved over the past several years, Aubert was almost invariably leading the way. My contact with him was of course restricted to the wines he produced with his wife Pamela.

Their property lies at the northern tip of the Côte Chalonnaise, in the tiny village of Bouzeron, where they labored for years to breathe new life into what I’m told was essentially an abandoned wine facility and residence. It’s a part of Burgundy just south of Chagny, one without much of either a reputation or consumer following. Over the next half-century, though, Aubert and Pamela changed that, and now reap the benefits of having built one of the most important domaines in all of France. At the same time, Aubert was managing the property considered by many to be the most important in the world of wine. His credentials are impressive.

In my sphere, we sold only the wines from Aubert and Pamela’s domaine. That property is now under the leadership of Aubert’s talented nephew, Pierre de Benoist, and the wines have never been better. A clear understanding of fine wine almost seems to be part of the gene pool of this remarkable family. During my years with Kermit, a stop at deVillaine’s property in Bouzeron was a regular part of our trips to France and was enjoyable not only for the great wines we tasted, but for the classical Burgundian dinners Aubert and Pamela shared with us. Most began with a bowl of textbook Vichyssoise, then moved on to a Daube of Beef that seemed to be right out of The Larousse Gastronomique. That course was followed by a selection of local Burgundian cheeses, and as a scholar of Burgundy, Aubert would talk about each with his total awareness of the area – where they were from, how the animals grazed, and the origin of the production techniques. Dinner with Pamela and Aubert always included a history lesson on France. That alone was worth the detour.

Barbara joined me on several of my trips to France. On one, Aubert and Pamela graciously suggested we join them at the end of the day for a tasting, then invited us to the dinner that followed. Barbara tried the Vichyssoise, then turned to me, quietly murmuring, that it was delicious. We should have this at home, she said. While Aubert would normally serve it with a white wine, the leeks in the US tend to be more strongly flavored, so Barbara prefers to serve her version with red wine. I normally select our Pinot Noir ‘Roberts Road’.

This is a wine Tadeo makes from grapes grown by the Sangiacomo Family on their vineyard in the Petaluma Gap, one of the coldest regions in Sonoma County. For the 2019, we picked 5 tons on September 27, removed the stems from only half of the clusters, then moved the grapes to two separate open-top fermentation tanks. We allowed the juice to ferment for 30 days, using wild, native yeasts. We punched-down the cap manually twice daily. Malolactic fermentation was initiated by the native bacteria that now fill the winery. When fermented to complete dryness, the tanks were drained and pressed, and the new wine was transferred to 60-gallon French oak barrels, 30% of which were new. It was then aged on the lees for one year, with only two rackings. It was bottled in August 2020, without fining or filtration.

The aroma is powerful, but not so much that it risks losing anything in elegance. The wine is soft and forward – thank heavens for Pinot Noir – with an aftertaste that combines mineral with fruit. The beauty of serving it with the soup is in the finish, which now lasts so long it seems almost exaggerated.

I love to dine in Burgundy, whether on escargot, exotic ham, oeuf en meurette, or daube. Over the years though I’ve learned that much of that pleasure comes from enjoying the pure charm of Pinot Noir with whatever I choose to eat.

Leek and Potato Soup or Vichyssoise Recipe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cups leeks, approximately 6 leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
• 3 – 4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 – 7 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons of minced chives for garnish
• Crystal Diamond Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

Preparation:

-In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and stir to coat with butter.
-Cover the pot and reduce the heat. Cook until the leeks are softened, approximately 10 minutes. Be sure not to brown the leeks.
-Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender. Approximately 30 minutes.
-Purée the soup in batches in a blender. Return to pot and add Crystal Diamond Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
-Place the pot of soup over medium heat to warm soup before serving.
-Garnish each bowl of soup with minced chives.