BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ > BOUCHARD Ainé & Fils

BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ 2022

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2022 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 : 2022

2022 brought uncertain conditions, but was finally mild throughout the season!

The harvest took place from around 25 August to 16 September.

The grapes were beautifully healthy, with varying degrees of ripeness depending on the exposure, giving balanced and honest white wines. Maturing ought to bring just the right degree of roundness to red wines with varying qualities, depending on the maturity of each plot.

2022 is a pleasant vintage in terms of quality with good yields, for both whites and reds. The vinification choices have been crucial as to whether to favour acidity or the alcoholic degree.