Bourgogne Aligoté

The Bourgogne Aligoté AOC is a regional appellation in Burgundy reserved for white wines made from the Aligoté grape variety and produced throughout Burgundy. It is found in Saône-et-Loire, Côte-d’Or, and Yonne, reflecting the diversity of these terroirs. This grape variety has been part of the Bourgogne appellation since 1937, except in Bouzeron, in the Côte Chalonnaise, where it bears the Bouzeron communal appellation.

Aligoté (6% of Burgundy’s vineyard area) is a very old grape variety in Burgundy. This fairly vigorous white grape variety produces larger and more numerous grapes than Chardonnay. The terroirs producing Bourgogne Aligoté are varied due to the diversity of the wine-growing regions; vineyards planted with this variety generally rest on a limestone base, often mixed with marl and clay. Bourgogne Aligoté is often a hillside wine. It does well at slightly higher elevations.

Bourgogne Aligoté is a fresh, crisp white wine. Its bouquet is floral (acacia, hawthorn) or fruity (apple). On the palate, this soft, smooth wine awakens the taste buds with notes of hazelnut that emerge on the finish. Burgundy Aligoté enthusiasts will appreciate the quality of the wines offered by the Auvenay and Olivier Morin estates, or Domaine René Bouvier.