White
Burgundy is made from Chardonnay, right? Well, mostly.
There’s another white grape in Bourgogne, Aligoté, that makes zippy,
energetic wines perfect for summertime, and ones that are — I might add — are mostly
affordable. Not an afterthought, Bourgogne
Aligoté is treated with respect by top end producers, such as Coche-Dury, whose
$300+ per bottle rendition is definitely not in the “affordable wine” category. Nevertheless, a 2014 Bourgogne Aligoté of his
that I recently drank did show how beautifully this wine can develop and the
heights it can achieve. Other Bourgogne Aligoté
from highly regarded producers, such as Domaine Michel Lafarge, Domaine Pierre
Morey, and Domaine Marc Colin et Fils, whose other wines might carry a
triple-digit price tag, can be found retailing for under $30 a bottle. Drinking their Aligoté gives you an insight
into their talents and style without breaking the bank. My friend and Burgundy expert, John Hayes,
coined the term “dust buster” for these palate-cleansing wines.
Two other
attributes of Aligoté explain its rising popularity among producers and
consumers. Producers embrace it because is
perfectly suited to climate change. Over
the past two decades, increasing temperatures have given us the potential for —
and frequently the reality of — overripe grapes with low acidity that translate
into heavy flabby wines. Aligoté, a
grape with inherently high acidity, makes fresh and lively wines despite the
warmth. In fact, the extra ripeness
imparted by warmer growing seasons has aided Aligoté because the thin and vapid
ones are mostly now a thing of the past.
Consumers
love it because Bourgogne Aligoté is a great wine to drink young to capture its
vivacity. While the Premier and Grand
Cru white Burgundies need years or decades to achieve their potential, wines
made from Aligoté are terrific young. Certainly,
they can age and develop complexity in even two to three years and more as
Coche-Dury’s 2014 demonstrated. Planted
in the right place Aligoté can develop like Chardonnay, as Ponsot’s Morey St. Denis
1er Cru Monts Luisants, which, surprising to many consumers, is made entirely
from Aligoté, shows. It consistently develops
enormous complexity with a decade of bottle age. But, in general, Bourgogne Aligoté from 2018,
2019, and 2020 vintages are a delight to drink now.
Aligoté has a
long history in Burgundy. In the late 19th
century, Aligoté grew alongside Chardonnay — and was blended with it — in such
revered Grand Crus sites as Corton Charlemagne and Montrachet. After phylloxera, it fell out of favor and
its acreage declined. Currently, Aligoté
represents only about six percent of vineyard plantings in Burgundy and is
usually found in less renowned sites.
The
appellation, Bourgogne Aligoté, is an anomaly in Bourgogne, the epicenter of
terroir-based viticulture, because it is named for the grape, not the site. The grapes for Bourgogne Aligoté can come
from anywhere in Bourgogne, from the Côte Auxerrois in the north near Chablis
to Mâcon in the south. (The French
prefer the use of the term Bourgogne, rather than Burgundy because that’s the
traditional name of the region. Plus, in
French, the word “burgundy” can be translated as maroon or, Mon Dieu,
Bordeaux.)
An exception
to the grape-named Bourgogne Aligoté appellation (and this being France, there
are always exceptions) is Bouzeron, located just south of the Côte d’Or in the
Côte Chalonnaise, an area where Aligoté is the only permitted white grape. The Aligoté in Bouzeron, Aligoté Doré,
differs from the other Aligoté planted in the rest of Bourgogne, according to
Ian D’Agata, one of the world’s foremost experts on wine, which might help
explain why the wines from Bouzeron carry a place name instead of the more
usual, Bourgogne Aligoté moniker. That
said, consumers will find the charms of Aligoté wine throughout Bourgogne.
Before
leaving Bouzeron, I would like to recommend some producers there. Domaine de Villaine, owned by Aubert de
Villaine, who is the co-director of Domaine Romanée-Conti, and his wife Pamela,
is arguably the top producer in the appellation. Their 2019 Bouzeron is positively
extraordinary, combining haunting floral aspects with a hint of stone fruits
and riveting acidity. It’s concentrated
without being heavy (95 points, $40). The
beautifully crafted 2017 Bouzeron from Jadot, under the Domaine Gagey label,
was splendid when I had it in 2018. Though
I’ve not had more recent ones from Jadot, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one of
theirs (about $30 — based on that 2017).
Other Bouzeron producers I recommend include Domaine Cruchandeau, Domaine
Jean Fréy et Fils, and Christophe Denizot’s Domaine des Moirots.
Just last
month, Le Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB), the
organization that represents Bourgogne wine, hosted a tasting in New York City of
an array of Bourgogne Aligoté wines that showed the extraordinary diversity — and
quality — of the appellation. The first set
of Bourgogne Aligoté releases were made in the time-honored fashion, that is,
stainless fermentation and aging without lees-stirring. The second set of wines showed the innovation
and experimentation producers were embracing both in the vineyard and in the
cellar to create Aligoté with more complexity and individuality. Some growers focused on Aligoté from specific
plots that they felt were especially well-suited to the variety, or from old
vines, highlighting that information on the label. Others experimented in the cellar with partial
oak fermentation, maybe some lees stirring (bâtonnage, in French), and
using a variety of vessels for aging, such as oak barrels, concrete “eggs,” or
terracotta amphora.
The contrast
between the wines from these two sets was clear. As a group, the ones made using time-honored
techniques for Aligoté were vibrant, highlighting their energy and brightness. Wines from the other group often, but not
always, showed more complexity and weight, but occasionally oakiness
overwhelmed the citrus-tinged electric character of Aligoté. My favorites, Sylvain Pataille’s 2020 “Clos
du Roy” and Bichot’s 2020 “Champ Renard,” came from the second group, but
overall, I preferred the consistent style and electricity of the ones fermented
and aged entirely in stainless steel.
Sylvain Pataille,
one of the top producers in Marsannay, emphasizes that his Aligoté is planted
in the “Clos du Roy” vineyard there, one of the candidate vineyards for 1er Cru
status. It has a “wow factor” not
usually seen with this grape (95 points, $54 for the 2019). Bichot’s comes from a single site, “Champ Renard,”
within their Domaine Adélie estate and has a beguiling complexity without
losing any of its electricity (94 points, $27 for the 2019). Domaine Jean Fournier, another top
Marsannay-based producer made an energetic and long 2020 Bourgogne Aligoté from
old views planted in the “Champ Forey” lieu-dit in that village (93
points, $32 for the 2019). Goisot is so
consistent that I’ve rarely found a wine of theirs that disappoints. Their minerally and racy 2020 Bourgogne
Aligoté, fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, certainly doesn’t and
is a bargain (93 points, $22). Another
Côte de Nuits-based producer, Manuel Olivier, made a 2020 Bourgogne Aligoté
with great depth and structure (93 points, $19 for the 2019). The very good co-operative in Buxy in the
Côte Chalonnaise produced a steely 2020 Bourgogne Aligoté that they label
“Silex” after the type of soil in which the vine grows (90 points, $18 for the
2019).
Though I
could not find U.S. prices for some of some Bourgogne Aligoté wines, they are
still worth bringing to readers’ attention because the availability is ever
changing. Bailly Lapierre, a superb
co-operative located near Chablis in the Auxerrois, made a spirited 2020
Bourgogne Aligoté that’s sure to please (93 points, n/a). (As an aside, they also consistently make a
racy and refreshing St. Bris, another
odd-ball Bourgogne appellation that uses the Sauvignon Blanc grape, that is
available in the U.S. Like Bourgogne
Aligoté, St. Bris is affordable. Bailly
Lapierre’s are typically invigorating and zesty, perfect for summer.) Also, from the Auxerrois, the Irancy-based
producer P-L and J-F Bersan fashioned a 2018 Bourgogne Aligoté that
successfully combines the energy of the variety with the warmth of the vintage
that shows very well now (92 points, n/a).
Since they make a consistently stunning line of Irancy, I’d keep my eyes
out for their Bourgogne Aligoté. Domaine
Catherine & Claude Maréchal, whose vineyards are in the Côte de Beaune,
made a creamy and cutting 2020 Bourgogne Aligoté that has a substantial
presence (92 points, n/a).
It’s
heartening to see producers taking this grape seriously. The range of Bourgogne Aligoté provides
something for everyone, from a refreshing dust buster to something with a touch
more complexity. So, as usual when
choosing wine, especially Bourgogne, its producer, producer, producer.
* * *
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