Domaine de Villaine, Bourgogne Aligoté de Bouzeron 1989 96
de-villaine.com A real surprise, this 1989 Aligoté tasted at the quarter-century mark with Pierre de Benoist was my first introduction to the potential of this grape, with its pronounced bouquet that blended mineral, petrol and truffle notes just like a great Riesling. The texture was silky and dense but not heavy. The wine at this age was mature yet holding together well, thanks to the lively acidity. This unique flavour definitely repaid the effort of ageing it. Organic. Drink 2023-2030 Alcohol 12.5%
1 Domaine Ponsot, La Pressé du Centenaire, Morey-St-Denis 1er Cru Clos des Monts Luisants 2011 96
US$2,125/3L Italian Wine Merchants This spectacular wine was produced to celebrate the 100th birthday of the vines, planted here by William Ponsot in 1911; only the vines planted at this time were used, and the result is exquisite, with a complex bouquet of ripe quince and apricot, white flowers, leafy green herbs and exotic spice. The texture is dense and tightly wound but not heavy, and the finish goes on interminably. Gently pressed as whole clusters, fermented in used casks, where it aged for 16 months before bottling with minimal sulphur. Drink 2023-2050 Alc 13%
2 Domaine Nicolas Faure, La Corvée de Bully, Bourgogne Aligoté 2021 95
+33 (0)3 80 30 21 55 This superb Aligoté has abundant, complex aromas of ripe quince and nectarine, tarragon, mineral, white flowers, and spice. The texture is rich with extract but not heavy, and the finish is tremendously long. This truly impressive wine was produced from a tiny 0.05ha plot of Aligoté planted in 1914 at the top of the slope in Pernand-Vergelesses, one of the remnants of old-vine Aligoté on the hill of Corton. Drink 2023-2035 Alc 13%
Domaine Pavelot, Bourgogne Aligoté 2018 94
domainepavelot.com Expressive pear, lemon peel and gooseberry aromas with a bright herbal edge. Yet the texture is silken and approachable, nothing tart or thin. Youthful and fresh, should age for another decade at least. Grapes were a selection from Pernand lieux-dits Derrière Frétille and Sous les Cloux, which would be village-level wine with a different grape. The Aligoté is lightly crushed and fermented and aged in stainless steel without the use of sulphur before bottling by hand. Organic. Drink 2023-2040 Alc 12.5%
3 Sylvain Pataille, La Charme aux Prêtres, Bourgogne Aligoté 2020 94
US$75-$85 Hi-Time Wine Cellars, K&L Wine Merchants, The Wine House
Lime and tarragon lead concentrated aromas. Crisp, almost taut, but the vibrant acidity is perfectly balanced by the dense concentration. This east-facing site has more clay in the soil, yielding a wine with more structure, fermented in cask (one third new) and aged 24 months before release. This powerful wine could use a couple of years in bottl
