BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ > BOUCHARD Ainé & Fils

BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ 2021

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2023

Varietal

100% Aligoté.

Tasting notes

Visual: Pale gold with emeralds hues.

Nose: Fresh and tonic bouquet showing mineral and fruity notes such as citrus and linden.

Palate: A pleasant liveliness and nice fruitiness perfectly mixed together in the mouth, bringing both freshness and firmness.

Food and wine pairing

This fresh wine goes perfectly with grilled fish, seafood, cold meats and goat's cheese. It can also be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif, either neat or with 1/5 of crème de Cassis de Bourgogne to make the famous Kir.

Serving suggestions

Serve ideally between 10 and 12°C / 50-54°F.

Ageing potential

Can be kept from 3 to 4 years, but the freshness of the Aligoté grapes is best appreciated while still young.

Origins

The Bourgogne Aligoté regional appellation represents exclusively white wines made from the Aligoté grape variety, with grapes harvested throughout the Bourgogne appellation area.

Known in Burgundy since the 17th century, Aligoté is an original grape variety that is not widely grown anywhere else in the world. It covers around 1,590 hectares of vineyards throughout the region, from the Yonne in the north to the Rhône in the south, via the Côte d'Or and the Saône et Loire (Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais).

Aligoté is a very well-known grape variety in Burgundy, and for a long time it was only associated with its use in making Kir (an equally famous drink made from Burgundy aligoté and crème de cassis, our region's blackcurrant liqueur). But this variety is increasingly seen as a quality grape and treated as such (low yields, vinification in oak barrels, etc.).

Vinification and maturing

After moderate pressing, the musts collected under the press are settled and then fermented in temperature-controlled vats (16-18°C) to retain all the freshness and tension of the grape variety. Fermentation takes place using selected yeasts. The wine is then matured in stainless steel vats for 6 to 8 months on its lees.

Vintage : 2021

The 2021 vintage was a challenge for winegrowers right up until the very last day. From the frost in April, made worse by a very early start to the winegrowing season, right through to the September harvest, it was characterized by some brutal shifts in the weather. Winegrowers had to be extremely reactive and attentive. The only moment of respite came with flowering, which was ideal for fruit formation, and véraison, which was accompanied by sunshine from mid-August. In the end, hard work was rewarded with success, low volumes aside.

Aside from the low yields due to frost, and hail in June in certain parts of the Mâconnais, the grapes were sorted meticulously, both in the vines and in the winery.

Anyway, 2021 is an interesting vintage to work as it requires great technical skill and vinification must be very precise. Although fermentation was rapid, one had to pay a great deal of attention to the extraction of tannins and color for the reds, and to the aromatic balance of the whites. The impression from the first tastings is that the musts have good aromatic potential and the sugar-acidity ratio suggests a style appreciated by fans of Bourgogne wines.