Aligoté is Burgundy’s rising white star

High in natural acidity, Aligoté’s main claim to fame has been as the traditional base for Kir, the Burgundian aperitif of dry white wine sweetened with creme de cassis. Without that extra sweetness to round out its sharp edges, much Aligoté can be so fresh that it’s positively tart.

It’s not that Aligoté can��t produce fine wine in the right hands and the right vineyard sites, where it can ripen slowly and temper that tartness. However, those hands and vineyards have traditionally been busy with Chardonnay, a more neutral grape valued for its potential to express terroir and winemaking, to age well, and to produce Burgundy’s broad range of sought-after white wines from lean, mineral Chablis to buttery, nutty Meursault.

It was once common to grow Aligoté in mixed vineyards with Chardonnay, to bring welcome acidity to the resulting ‘field blend’ wines. Over the years, as Chardonnay proved itself the golden goose of grapes, Aligoté got relegated to poorer sites higher up in the valleys or lower down in their plains. These higher, cooler sites are now giving the grape its lucky break, as winemakers look to higher-altitude vineyards as useful sites for bringing the natural acidity that is so important in a balanced wine.

Global warming is challenging Burgundian growers to pick Chardonnay earlier in order to prevent flabby, over-ripe wines. That same increase in average temperatures is helping to ripen Aligoté more fully, however, and unlocking this underdog’s potential for nuanced complexity, adding notes of acacia, herb and nuts to simpler apple and lemon character.

Our wine of the week is from Irish winemaker Roisín Curley who works in Burgundy as a micro-negociant, buying small lots of grapes direct from growers rather than making wine from her own vineyards. This system makes micro-negociants nimble in navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by a changing climate.

Since 2020, Curley has made a beautiful Bourgogne Aligoté, which can feature grapes from across Burgundy with up to 15pc Chardonnay in the blend. In 2022, she also made a Bouzeron, which is an AOC in Burgundy’s Cote Chalonnaise that specialises in Aligoté-based wines. Both are in tiny quantities so snap them up if you can.

Wines of the week

Maison Roisín Curley Bourgogne Aligoté 2022, France, 11.5pc, €42 Beautifully delicate Burgundy with just a kiss of oak, this is perfumed with white flowers, lemon biscuit and subtle smoky, nutty aromas, then juicy, bright and medium-bodied with a pure, precise acidity that sings with seafood. The barrel-fermented Roisín Curley Bouzeron (€38.95, Mitchells) is richer, nuttier and creamier with a soaring acidity and minerality on the finish. Both are barrel-fermented and aged in old oak, with malolactic fermentation but no batonnage. Green Man Wines, Mitchell & Son, stationtostationwine.ie, wineonline.ie

Domaine Perraud Bourgogne Aligoté, France, 12.5pc, €24 From 20-year-old vines grown in flinty, chalky soils in sunny Macon, a clean and unshowy Aligoté with pretty honeysuckle, peachy and nutty notes. Slow fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless-steel tanks and lees ageing bring some complexity to this food-friendly wine. Jus de Vine, wineonline.com, Mitchell & Son; mitchellandson.com

Bernard Defaix Bourgogne Aligoté 2022, France, 12.5pc, €24.95 From chalky clay vineyards in Auxerre, this 100pc Aligoté has been handled gently and aged on fine lees in stainless-steel tanks to produce a clean, aperitif-friendly wine with green apple and lemon aromas and pleasantly pithy crispness. Perfect with oysters. McHugh’s, Deveney’s, Clontarf Wines, Baggot Street Wines, wineonline.com, Mitchell & Son

Domaine Jessiaume Bourgogne Aligoté 2021, France, 12.5pc, €36 From a low-intervention winery in southern Cotes de Beaune, in Santenay vineyards converting to organic, fermented in old oak barrels and aged on the lees for 10 months for a poised balance of yellow apple and citrus fruit, pleasant weight yet signature freshness. Pair with salty or fatty dishes. Green Man Wines, siyps.com, Sheridans Cheesemongers; sheridanscheesemongers.com

Domaine Sylvain Pataille Bourgogne Aligoté 2022, France, 12.5pc, €29.95 From a legend of Cotes de Nuits, which makes whites, reds and (wonderful) rosé in Marsannay with organic and biodynamic viticulture, this is pristine Aligoté with delicate citrus lifted by subtle herbal and spicy nuance. An elegant introduction to Pataille’s masterful range. MacCurtain Wine Cellar, Lilith, 64 Wine, Green Man Wines, Pinto Wines, Clontarf Wines, Martins, wineonline.ie