Bourgogne Aligoté Doré, Sélection Massale AOP 2023

Wine Description for Bourgogne Aligoté Doré Sélection Massale AOP 2023 by Boris Champy

Colour & Appearance

Medium lemon yellow with brilliant clarity – a visual promise of freshness and ripeness in equal measure.

Nose

Classic, precise Aligoté bouquet with delicate acacia blossom and hawthorn berry. Ripe peaches and yellow plums convey juiciness, whilst a hint of reduction lends depth. Subtle vanilla notes and understated oak spice bear witness to barrel ageing, without dominating – a wine that unites ripeness and elegance.

Palate

Remarkably smooth and silky in texture. The wine unfolds progressively: from the attack through to the finish, body and concentration build continuously. The ripe acidity is precisely calibrated and lends the late harvest exactly the right structure. Fine-spiced and perfectly balanced – here one sees what Aligoté Doré can achieve in the right hands. At 12.5% alcohol, the wine never feels heavy, but rather vibrant and alive.

Finish

Persistent and fresh, with fine minerality and lingering fruit aromas. The acidity carries far and leaves a clear, appetite-stimulating impression.

Terroir & Origin

The vineyards lie in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune at over 400 metres altitude – a cool site that imparts freshness and precision to the variety. Soils of limestone, calcareous marl and clay shape the mineral character. The late harvest on 29 September, ten days after the lower-lying parcels, underscores the special exposure of these vineyard sites.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Old sélection massale of the rare Aligoté Doré (Golden Aligoté), named after the golden berry colour. Dense planting at 10,000 vines per hectare trained in Guyot and Lyra systems. Spontaneous fermentation, followed by twelve months‘ ageing in 70% used pièces on the lees, 30% in stainless steel – a judicious balance between complexity and freshness.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Excellent with scallops, trout au bleu, pike-perch with herb butter or Comté. Also an elegant choice with poultry terrine, Quiche Lorraine or goat’s cheese.

Special Features

With this Aligoté Doré, Boris Champy demonstrates that the often underestimated variety, when sourced from old sélections massales and handled with careful vinification, can produce wines of considerable complexity and ageing potential. A Burgundy for connoisseurs beyond the Chardonnay mainstream.