Aligote is a white grape variety, on the basis of which dry white wine is made with a strength of 11-13% vol. with the same name. This variety was first noticed in the 1937th-299th century in Burgundy, where it is still cultivated. Aligote grapes tolerate cold well, therefore it is common in Eastern Europe: Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria. In XNUMX, the French wine Aligote received the status of a protected designation of origin, the Bourgogne Aligote appellation is located on the territory of Burgundy, it includes XNUMX communes in three regions (Yon, Côte d’Or and Saone-et-Loire).
Variety description
On the basis of Aligote, varietal wine is produced (up to 15% Chardonnay impurities are allowed), and Aligote is also part of the Crément de Bourgogne sparkling wine.
The berries ripen early, the wine is very refreshing: sour, light, with aromas of grass, flowers, apples and lemon. However, a novice or inept winemaker can easily spoil the drink – make it “poor”, tasteless, overly sour.
The variety is divided into two subspecies:
- “Green” – unpretentious berries, taking quantity rather than quality.
- “golden” – it is from these berries that the best Aligote is obtained.
Wine Aligote does not belong to the category of “great” and generally fades against the background of another Burgundy white – Chardonnay, although the berries of this variety are larger and juicier. The drink is not aged, but drunk young, it is not expected to have a depth of taste and a complex bouquet, so Aligote vines are often planted at the foot or on the very tops of hills, leaving the best terroirs for more valuable varieties. Thanks to limestone soils, the wine acquires a brackish mineral note.
However, there are exceptions: winemaker Jean-Marc Roulot keeps Aligote in stainless steel vats for up to 10 years. The wine does not acquire tannic and vanilla nuances, as it would be when aging in oak, it retains freshness and floral character, but the taste becomes more pronounced, mineral tones are more clearly manifested in it.
Types
It is believed that the taste of Aligote does not depend much on the terroir, therefore the name of the vineyard or village is usually not written on the bottles, only the Bourgogne Aligote appellation.
There are two exceptions to this rule:
- Domaine Ponsot, which has been cultivating Aligoté grapes for over a hundred years in a small area near the Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, is the only producer of this variety that has the right to label its Premier Cru wine. His Aliquot is called Ponsot’s Clos des Monts Luisants and costs about $125 a bottle.
- Domaine A. & P. de Villaine in the village of Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise region, since 1979, is the only producer entitled to indicate the terroir and not the grape variety on the Aligoté bottle.
How to drink Aligote wine
Aligote is drunk as an aperitif or at dinner. It is not served at lavish receptions – this is a very simple table wine that forms excellent gastronomic pairings with grilled fish, oysters, goat cheese, vegetable salads or steamed vegetables, snails with garlic oil, cold ham, chicken in a creamy sauce, savory pastries . The recommended serving temperature is 11-12 °C.
Famous French brands: Bouzeron, Côte Chalonnaise, Leroy, Albert Joly, Domaine du Comte Armand, Marc Colin, Maison Ambroise, Charton, Bruno Clair, Diconne Jean-Pierre и др.