Winemaker Spotlight:
Domaine Gilles Bouton
Jean-Jacques Girard
Julien Cruchandeau
Domaine Jean Fery
Domaine Germain Pere Et Fils
Recipe Spotlight:
Venetian Pea Risotto
Rhubarb & Brioche French Toast
Varietal Spotlight:
Blog Spotlight:
Bouzeron
Saint Romain
Savigny-lès-Beaune
Every Underdog Has Its Day – Aligoté, Burgundy's Lesser-known Grape
Almost all of the white Burgundy that you will find is Chardonnay. The main exception is a grape called Aligote.
Both Chardonnay and Aligote happily produce juicy floral whites. And to find them, generally you are looking at vineyards that are not considered overly 'mineral' or 'stoney'. Limestone is the base on which all Burgundian wine is grown, but some areas have a higher percentage of rock to clay than others. And it's in these less rocky vineyards that you will find the notes of white flowers and honey. And when we say 'juicy' there is normally a nice level of acidity to make your mouth water. When you get a good balance between the acidity and the maturity of the fruit, that's when you get the classic profile of white Burgundy.
There are lots of villages that project this image of Chardonnay. Think Saint Aubin (or if you are feeling fancy, Puligny-Montrachet or Meursault); look for Savigny les Beaune or Pernand-Vergelesses, Saint Romain even. Then there is the Aligote grape. Be careful with Aligote: there is good and bad. Stick with our selections to start with; burgundywine.com has some very special Aligote from some very special winemakers.