I’ve been unmoved by most Aligote I’ve tried (including Coche) but I really like the de Moor bottlings
The Coche Aligote is nice but like the Bourgogne blanc not really out of the ordinary, in contrast to the Meursaults, Puligny and Corton.
I like Aligote, and quite a few producers make good ones (thinking of DeMoor, Bachelet, Ramonet, Roulot, JM Vincent, Sylvain Pataille, and Cathiard. This past weekend we tried Maison Glandien and a 2015 Arnaud Ente along with WK’s 2021. I haven’t had Coche or d’Auvenay yet but will try and rectify that at some point.
However, I like Chardonnay much more. I suspect it’s a little like the self reinforcing cru system - Aligote has an historic reputation of being a less reputable grape and I think it gets less preferential treatment in the cellar, aged in mostly neutral barrels. Most of the Aligote I’ve tried comes off like a lighter, less dense and more citric, less-fruited, less rich version of Chardonnay. Sometimes that’s just what I want - and they are quite food friendly. @Tom_Blach Where William’s wine excels is that it tastes like a very high quality Meursault. Vincent’s wine, being a solera is broad, with more apple flavors, and less signature of oak and reduction, just on opposite ends of the style spectrum, although I was impressed by that wine separately.
This question feels rather dated considering the past few years of Aligote hype. Like others have said, climate change is likely quite kind to Aligote. The few I remember from years ago that were not de Villaine’s Bouzeron were often kind of insipid. In recent years I’ve had many that are much more exciting, and play to the grape’s strengths of sharp, high acid wines but with more substance and complexity. I’m sure this is due not only to climate change but also to better plantings, vine selection, farming, and winemaking, yet I’m sure that warmer vintages is helping out a lot as well.
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I dig Aligoté quite a bit and try to find new ones to try actively. They don’t tend to offer the complexity or weight a better Chardonnay may offer but often the bang for the buck is tremendous. I would also say that often there are stylistic similarities to the same producer’s Chardonnays. Just had this one from producer I respect:
- 2022 Henri Germain et Fils Bourgogne-Aligoté - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (6.11.2024)
Very zesty on the nose with a reductive feel and quite a minerally and salty charge. A crushed rock nose if there ever was one. On the palate it has some volume but also high acidity that provides plenty of tension to this bone dry, ripped wine. Not really austere - for me at least - but this is something of a purist’s wine that doesn’t try to win its drinker over. Also on the palate markedly salty and minerally with a squeeze of lemon providing the fruity notes but fruity is not a good descriptor for it. Very clean and crisp, linear if you will. This 12% ABV wonder means business.
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I’m a bit fascinated by Aligoté - started with a visit to Young Inglewood, where their Aligoté was the highlight of our tasting. I’ve since purchased some Boyer-Martenot Aligoté but since I just received it last week, haven’t yet had a chance to give it a try.
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Tasted with the relatively new winemaker at Domaine Chanzy in Bouzeron this spring. I know the wines have, in the past, received less than stellar commentary here. However, things seemed to have turned around. The 2023 Aligotes were marvelous and the La Fortune and Clos de la Fortune were simply outrageous.
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I enjoyed Andante from Willamette Valley.
I too am a fan of De Moor’s aligoté. I’m surprised no one has mentioned Lafarge’s Raisins Dorés which is awesome.
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Killer value too.
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Thoughts on “ideal” drinking window for aligote? I Obviously subjective and possibly terroir/producer specific… but I haven’t quite figured it out…
I found some 14/15 Rouget hidden in my cellar, and found them to be surprisingly delish this summer with 10 years…
The Lafarge used to be reliably horrible, as with his other white wines, but it’s been a few years. I always wondered how someone who made such glorious red wines could make such soapy and unrefreshing whites.
While I can’t speak for the other whites, I’ve been drinking the Aligoté consistently since the 2019 vintage and it has been superb, it definitely is not soapy. Which vintages of his Aligoté did you have?
It’s been said but I too really like them on a nice restaurants wine list. Usually so food friendly and you can drink a great producers wine for a pittance. It seems the markups are less too, probably because of the obscurity ect.
Cristophe Roumier told me once, “Never buy white wines from a red wine maker but definitely buy red wines from a white wine maker.”
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I haven’t tasted anything after 2010-more than possible that things have got better!
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what would explain this
Ramonet!
Dujac? 
Making white wine is harder than red, IMO. Others’ as well that I know. It’s somewhat like having the pastry chef and line cook switch jobs and seeing what happens.
Dominique Lafon told me it’s easier to make a good white than a good red, but harder to make a great white than a great red.
He said there are many more inputs in making white and more opportunities to screw something up.