Aligote, The OTHER WHITE GRAPE OF BURGUNDY

October 26, 2010

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Bouzeron . . . located in the Cote Chalonnaise of southern Burgundy . . . Chassagne-Montrachet to the north, Rully and Mercurey to the south.

[At this point I would normally explain that the white wines of Burgundy are always Chardonnay . . . and they always are . . . usually . . . except when it comes to Bouzeron.]

In Bouzeron you can forget about Chardonnay . . .

ALIGOTE’ is THE white varietal.

Some history . . . Aligote’ has always been grown in Burgundy . . . even preferred some time ago in Meursault and Pernand-Vergelesses. But tastes change and Chardonnay has by far become the dominant white grape of Burgundy . . . and the world.

Along came Aubert de Villaine . . . co-owner of Burgundy’s most illustrious estate, Domaine de la Romanee Contee. He built Domaine de Villaine in Bouzeron, a project intended to revive the status of the practically discarded Aligote’ grape.

Aligote’ is planted only on the slopes of Bouzeron . . . using a version of Aligote’ which offers lower yields and higher aromatics . . . only organic techniques are used . . . no pesticides or herbicides . . . and only vegetal compost as fertilizer.

The result is a lively, racy wine with bright fruit and a round mouthfeel . . . the color is so delicate it is close to colorless . . . nose of honeysuckle and morning glory. To appreciate its freshness, de Villaine recommends drinking within three years of the vintage . . . but well-cellared it will age up to ten years, becoming fatter and full-bodied. Drink it as you would any other Bourgogne Blanc . . . especially delicious as an aperitif, with goat cheese or shellfish.

De Villaine’s colleagues agree that he has accomplished his mission . . . Bouzeron is the only appellation dedicated to the Aligote’ grape . . . de Villaine’s Aligote’ is considered the finest in the category.

Source: http://www.pearsonswine.com/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=1345

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