Figaro interview with Aubert de Villaine from DRC

I friend from Paris shared this one with me last week. Interesting interview… interesting also his take on how great it was when Parker stopped visiting the region.

Thank you for posting. Enjoyed the read.

If only I could read French…

LOL?

(Google translate. My phone did it for me right on the page.)

Thanks sharing. Not a lot new here, but I like this quote (translated by Google) about horse plowing: “When someone asks us why we chose the horse? I sometimes answer: quite simply because it is beautiful! Seeing a horse working in the vineyard in the morning, with the sun in its mane, creates a beauty that can only do good to the vine.”

I can’t also… I used the browser (Edge) translator extension… I assume is not 100% but allows for a good reading

Aubert consistently speaks with a nuanced sense of restraint and care. In many ways he is of another time and his wines reflect his deep reverence for Burgundy and long term thinking.

I had the good fortune to be invited to come over and finish dinner with Albert de Villaine (and Johnathan Nossiter of Mondovino fame) while sitting in an empty Tan Dinh on a very rainy night in Paris (we were the only tables occupied). The owner knew me and told Mssr. de Villaine I had a winery in Oregon. Clearly, this was an insanely generous and gracious gesture on his part, which speaks to his exact nature. Upon meeting me and (laughably) introducing himself to me he said, “I understand you have a winery in Oregon.” I replied, “Yes, I’m part owner of a small winery.” He asked, “How much wine do you produce.” I said, “We make about 10,000 cases.” He took a few moments and nodded his head a few times before slowly stating, “Monsieur, you do not have a SMALL winery.”

The whole evening was a true highlight in a life of winemaking.

He had me at “maybe it’s time to go taste in the cellar.”

Here is the DRC horse. Photo taken in November 2019 when I visited the grounds. Wish I could say I visited the cellar!