A local somm here in town has put together a couple of (socially distanced, small-scale) informal tastings amongst restaurant industry folks while our jobs have mostly disappeared into the ether of COVID-19. The first was Austrian wine with a few examples of Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, and St. Laurent and this second one was one near and dear to my wine-nerd, Burgundy-obsessed heart; a veritable murderer’s row, who’s who of Aligoté. A couple folks were super kind and brought bottles as well to fill out the lineup.
We wanted to see if there was a common thread that ran through this somewhat elusive grape and if we could try to nail down its essence; instead, we found that Aligoté, like Chardonnay, is an exceedingly transparent vehicle for the winemaker. I came to the conclusion that since Aligoté is mostly a passion project for the top producers, it’s almost a love letter, of sorts; a statement of one’s winemaking ethos and values, mostly divorced from the economic motivations and stereotypes of white Burgundy terroirs and styles. Most of the best seem to come from old vines and the Aligoté doré strain, and we were fortunate to have in front of us what are a handful of the best Aligotés in the world.
A few short TNs:
2017 Pierre Morey Bourgogne Aligoté
40+ old vines. This was basically exactly what I think of when I think of this grape; lightly herbal, made in a reductive, flinty, smoky style but still razor-sharp and fresh. Nice saline finish.
2017 Comte Armand Bourgogne Aligoté
What class. 90+ year old vines, and a very “serious” example of Aligoté; lightly creamy, somewhat reductive. Brought up in 500+ litre wooden foudres. Icy, and maybe even a bit emotionally distant, but incredible balance. I’d put this up against almost anyone else’s Bourgogne as far as pure quality goes, and forget the apéritif; this is a wine that could carry you through an entire meal.
2017 François Mikulski Bourgogne Aligoté
From vines planted in the 20s and 40s. One sniff and I blurted out “what is this, Aligoté Musqué?!” Yellow apple, honey, and an almost tropical fruit quality on the nose. Really, really different, and while I’ve had this bottle before, the contrast between it and most of the others was stark.
2018 Domaine de Villaine Bouzeron
Probably the disappointment of the tasting for me; I’d been curious to try this bottle for ages, and I was really surprised at the complete lack of expressiveness. Almost nothing on the nose; the texture was decent and somewhat lees-y, but ultimately, it basically drank like heavy water with crisp acid.
2016 Domaine Ponsot Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants Blanc
100+(!) year old vines, and, of course, the unicorn of Burgundy; the only Premier Cru Aligoté on the planet. Wow. WOW. If you ever thought Aligoté was just something you tossed in a Kir, think again; luscious crème brûlée and caramel-covered popcorn on the nose with incredible power and breadth. So weighty, nutty, rounded, and but that steely finish of beautiful acid belies the variety. Beguiling. Maybe not quite it for the price, but I’m so glad to have the opportunity to have tried this.
2017 Domaine Ramonet Bouzeron
I’ve had the 2016 version of this cuvée before and thought it was great, and this was a worthy successor. Also similar to the Comte Armand in its reductive, smoky, flinty bent but perhaps even more lean and steely. I described it as a ballerina in my previous TN and I think it’s still a good metaphor. Again, the winemaking prowess on full display here. Loved it.
2015 Domaine Henri Naudin-Ferrand Bourgogne Aligoté
A somewhat more naturalista bottling, it was cool to see Aligoté with a touch of age. Surprisingly almost savoury, a little nutty, with a ripe, fleshy core that you could really sink your teeth into and a touch of that wild herbalness. Creamy. Really tasty.
All in all, I think the Comte Armand came out a hair ahead of the Ramonet for my tastes but the Clos des Monts Luisants was a mind-bender. In short, it was a really instructive, informal, wonderful discussion and an amazing opportunity to try these wines side by side.
