Rustic, incisive… Aligoté was once shunned. But championed by determined winegrowers, it is making a comeback in Burgundy. Let us tell you all about this grape variety and its many secrets!
A REPUTATION TO ESTABLISH
Rustic, incisive, nervous… Aligoté has long been associated with disparaging adjectives. Outshone by the dazzling success of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Burgundy, Aligoté’s qualities still seem to be underrated today. And yet, there is much to appreciate about this grape variety, still unjustly reserved for the aperitif Kir by many.
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, Aligoté shared pride of place with other white grape varieties in the Burgundy region. However, following the phylloxera crisis, the vineyards were replanted almost exclusively with Chardonnay for the region’s white wines. As an example, in 1891, Louis Latour replanted his entire Corton-Charlemagne vineyard1 with Chardonnay, whereas these plots had previously been the realm of Aligoté and Pinot Blanc. Disdainfully relegated to the lower slopes where the richer soil failed to benefit it, Aligoté produced more ordinary wines which contributed to its poor reputation. Over the years, this variety gradually fell into disrepute throughout Burgundy, failing to produce wines of the same quality as the Chardonnay the region yields.
Great dedication and hard work were required from winemakers to reintroduce the modest Aligoté grape variety we want to showcase today. Was it worth the trouble? Absolutely! Aligoté seems to be shaping the future of the Côte d’Or, with a heritage to preserve and a promising future in times of climate change. Its naturally high acidity not only allows it to retain its freshness despite upcoming warm vintages, but it also ensures that the wine ages well.
And without further ado, let us introduce the grape variety
A cross of Pinot Noir and the now extinct Gouai Blanc, Aligoté is a sibling of Chardonnay. When we compare them, the Aligoté berries are more compact, larger and more numerous than the Chardonnay ones. It has livelier, greener aromas such as fennel, lemon, lime blossom and green apple.
Controlling yields should earn Aligoté a reputation worthy of its great potential. With short Guyot pruning, poor soil and late harvests, Aligoté produces absolutely wonderful wines. So this variety, long overshadowed by Chardonnay, can now proudly reveal the passion and hard work of those who work in the vineyards to promote and understand it.
PATIENCE & hard work: THE FIGHT TO SAVE AN ENDANGERED GRAPE VARIETY
PDOs themselves honour the inherent quality of this variety, and there are already two Burgundy appellations where only Aligoté vines are allowed to be planted. They are the Bourgogne Aligoté appellation, established in 1937, and the Bouzeron appellation, created in 1997 on the initiative of Aubert de Villaine (who was co-manager of Domaine de la Romanée Conti at the time and is now assisted by Pierre de Benoist) and his wife Pamela. This initiative was launched in the 1970s by three winemakers, Chanzy, Chemoron and Cognin, put together an initiative to defend the Bouzeron Aligoté. Bouzeron elevates Aligoté to the rank of Village appellation with vines planted at an altitude of 270 to 350 metres over some sixty hectares. This prestigious accolade recognises the quality of this endangered grape variety and restores its reputation. This grape variety is also used in the blends for Crémants de Bourgogne and Côteaux-Bourguignons.
In 2009, regulations were introduced to regulate the planting of Aligoté vines. The French Winemakers’ Association (Syndicat Professionnel des Vignerons) set a 15% limit on the proportion of Aligoté planted in any one plot. When wines are produced from parcels complanted with this grape variety, they are blended.
In 2018, this passion for the somewhat despised grape variety led chef Philippe Delacourcelle to create Les Aligoteurs, a non-profit organisation working to promote and protect Aligoté in Burgundy. Philippe works at the Boisrouge restaurant in Flagey-Echézeaux. He explains: “We strive to promote high-quality Aligoté wines produced by talented winemakers. In my former restaurant in Paris, these wines were often showcased with great success, and blind tastings confirmed the ‘forgotten’ quality of this grape variety.” Winemakers are required to submit their wines to ten blind tasting panellists in order to join the organisation. In 2018, there were around forty Aligoteurs; today the organisation counts sixty, and you may recognise some of their names: Sylvain Pataille, Agnès Paquet, Laurent Fournier, Pablo Chevrot, Jérôme Galeyrand, Manuel Olivier and Nicolas Faure. Mr Delacourcelle is particularly committed to the notion of ‘modernity’, as Aligoté lends itself perfectly to a number of very popular winemaking techniques, such as pellicular maceration (leaving the grape skins and seeds in contact with the must before, during or after fermentation) and maturation under a veil of flor yeast. It also pairs wonderfully with flavours often seen in Asian cuisine, such as ginger.
Philippe Delacourcelle believes that Burgundy may well be a land of blends in the future… Who knows?
DAZZLING VICTORY: A MOREY-SAINT-DENIS PREMIER CRU ALIGOTÉ
Were you aware that one of Domaine Ponsot’s wines produced from the Morey-Saint-Denis appellation is in fact a single-varietal Aligoté? That’s right, we’re talking about Clos des Monts-Luisants. This vineyard covers 11.32 hectares, with 5.39 hectares classified as premier cru. The surviving 1-hectare parcel of Aligoté is located in the upper part of the premier cru, remaining unchanged since the end of the 19th century.
In 2011, after lengthy negotiations with Domaine Ponsot, the INAO (National Institute for Appellations of Origin) agreed to maintain the classification of this parcel as a premier cru planted with Aligoté. As we mentioned previously, before the phylloxera crisis, Aligoté dominated the vineyards this side of the Côte d’Or. Despite the qualities of Aligoté, Chardonnay was replanted throughout Burgundy, yet William Ponsot persisted in preserving his hundred-year-old vines, a decision welcomed by the INAO. The fact that this Morey-Saint-Denis gained recognition is not only a great achievement for the estate, but also proof of the nobility of the Aligoté grape.
ALIGOTÉ ACROSS THE GLOBE
It would be an overstatement to describe Aligoté as a virtually forgotten grape variety. In fact, it is renowned the world over for its freshness, adaptability and yields. Aligoté is the 10th most widely planted grape variety worldwide, covering some 20,000 hectares of land, 10 times more than the figure for French vineyards.
This variety grows in Switzerland’s Pays de Vaud and Valais regions, in Romania and Ukraine, but also in North America, in the states of Washington and New York, where it thrives in cool conditions.
PROMISING TASTINGS ON THE HORIZON
Let yourself be tempted by the fresh, chiselled notes offered by Aligoté wines through flagship cuvées that have nothing to be ashamed of when compared with other Burgundy whites – quite the opposite, in fact! De Villaine’s Bouzeron would be a prestigious introduction to this grape variety, not to mention others such as Pierre Boisson or Clotilde Davenne. Just sit back with a glass and let the exacting standards these winemakers have lavished this grape variety with sweep you off your feet! Aligoté certainly has a bright future!
Cheers!
Shop all Aligoté wines available on iDealwine
Shop all wines available on iDealwine
- Note that the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) did not exist at that time. ↩︎
