Aligoté again

This year for the first time, I visited the Les Aligoteur's tasting which occurred a few weeks ago near Vougeot. From a professional point of view one of the most relaxed tastings I have ever been to, there was a great sense of bon homie. You really felt the producers conviction and idealism for this fantastic grape. Apart from the oppurtunity to gorge on a never ending supply of oysters, the big highlight was the aged magnums from the producers cellars.

At the tasting the word terroir was bandied about so much. It was really interesting to taste Aligoté from better terroirs, given the chance, this grape can producer exceptional wines. An aligoté from Puligny was particularly striking as were one from Pernand-Vergelesses. From about 40 producers, there were very few I did not like. Ponsot, is the absolute standout.
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Jean-Claude Boisset, Domaine Rougeot and Pavelot were for me excpetional.
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Sylvian Pataille, a study in terroir, when one can taste the three crus alongside one another, it becomes obvious why Pataille seperates them, each in their own right highly individual.
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Maison Chanzy also deserves a mention.

Too many producer to go through individually. It is probably more about finding the style suitable to ones palate. I struggle with the high toned acidity driven examples but these are in the minority.

There was a table with older bottles, again Ponsot with the 2003 Mont Luisant, the real stand out. Also Bouvier, Nerthus, Goisot, Rougeot top.
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Also really interesting to compare the vintages 2019, 2020, 2021 and in some cases 2022 alongside. 2020 is for me at least a massive vintage, 19 pales in comparison. 21 is very difficult, really comes down to the producer, some really nice balanced wines and then others where the aacidity is just too much. 2022 is really impressive, from what I have tasted so far in Chablis and Aligoté,

Aligoté is definitely not a grape that should be drunk young, a wait of two years seems sensible. Ten years seems to be the sweet spot for my taste.

My facit, anyone complaining about the prices of Burgundy, should delve into Aligoté,it is not Chardonnay, it is its own grape and an equal adversary to chardonnay in expressing terroir.
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A couple of TNs YTD.

  • 2022 Domaine Dubuet-Monthélie Bourgogne-Aligoté - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (02/04/2024)
    Pronounced yellow; classic wet stones & citrus; good attack & bite which follows through onto finish; long. One for the near future. (88 pts.)
  • 2018 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne-Aligoté - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (14/03/2024)
    Pale; broad & expansive bouquet; on the rich side of the spectrum; lots on the finish. Will hold but no upside. (89 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

We have replenished stocks during the past month. If & when weathers improves we will open some more.
 
A couple of TNs YTD.

  • 2022 Domaine Dubuet-Monthélie Bourgogne-Aligoté - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (02/04/2024)
    Pronounced yellow; classic wet stones & citrus; good attack & bite which follows through onto finish; long. One for the near future. (88 pts.)
  • 2018 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne-Aligoté - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne-Aligoté (14/03/2024)
    Pale; broad & expansive bouquet; on the rich side of the spectrum; lots on the finish. Will hold but no upside. (89 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

We have replenished stocks during the past month. If & when weathers improves we will open some more.
Mark, as a matter of interest, what was the difference in purchase price between these two Aligotés?
 
I am enjoying Simon Colin Bouzeron Clous 2020. Really very lovely on nose and palette, a bit flabby when it warms slightly though. Indeed getting the temperature window just right I find a bit of a challenge.
 
I see that the TWS mixed 2020 4 pack of Sylvian Pataille Aligote that I was underwhelmed with @ £125 last year is now £175 for the 2021 mix.
What’s in the bottle for £39-£49 a pop is poor value IMO. And I shall pass.
I am not criticising TWS on this, rather the marketplace that thinks they are worth more than a Tenner.
I was so unimpressed with the basic Pataille that I didn't bother. One thing I have noticed, though, is that some aligotes, like that one, can appear deadly dull, flat, melony and soapy at a certain point in their evolution. Sometimes this really is just a phase, though, and the wine can recover to show really excellently. This seems an unremarked phenomenon.
I do think it's an interesting grape capable of making superb wine. It shares with chardonnay the characteristic of needing its fundamental flavour to be ruthlessly suppressed if it is to be good.
 
Tom, there’s a good interview with Sylvain Pataille on Levi Dalton’s I’ll Drink To That podcast where I think I remember Pataille saying his whites go through a phase like that.

Pataille has become a darling of the natural wine crowd, which could be one factor behind some of his wines going up so much in price. The amount some people will pay for natural wines is astonishing, and they’re usually not the sort of people who price compare on wine-searcher.
 
My first Jura Aligote (I think)

Francois Rousset - Martin Aligato.

No obvious oak, all citrus and chalk, very tangy, everything turned up, powerful, really very good.

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About a year late replying to this, but while it's made in the Jura, it's not from the Jura: it's the result of an exchange with a friend of François', Xavier Moissenet of Domaine les Champs de Thémis in Bouzeron. His wines are very promising, though he has somewhat natty tendencies.
 
About a year late replying to this, but while it's made in the Jura, it's not from the Jura: it's the result of an exchange with a friend of François', Xavier Moissenet of Domaine les Champs de Thémis in Bouzeron. His wines are very promising, though he has somewhat natty tendencies.
Yes. It certainly tastes more of Jura than Burgundy though!

I’m curious if it’s even slightly like JM Vincent’s Solera and will find out tomorrow.
 
Really enjoyed this this evening, though not sure if it's far enough on the ascetic side for some folk here. Plenty of floral fruit and quite broad, lemon and apples, but lots of tangy acid. Chanzy 2016 Bouzeron Clos de la Fortune Monopole.
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Tom, there’s a good interview with Sylvain Pataille on Levi Dalton’s I’ll Drink To That podcast where I think I remember Pataille saying his whites go through a phase like that.

Pataille has become a darling of the natural wine crowd, which could be one factor behind some of his wines going up so much in price. The amount some people will pay for natural wines is astonishing, and they’re usually not the sort of people who price compare on wine-searcher.
I do not think its correct to call Pataille's wines natural. He uses very little or no SO2 during elevage but adds adds a decent dose before bottling.
 
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