A hard but fine day of work …
Les Aligoteurs is doing great work to promote the Aligoté grape … and this week, they hosted a great tasting where the wine press was invited to taste the 2023 Aligoté wines from central Burgundy and Chablis.
I know that many Aligotés are produced now – some estates produce 4+ cuvées, but I was nevertheless quite overwhelmed when I saw the number of wines from Les Aligoteurs members … 50+ wines were tasted.
Sadly, the number of journalists attending was a bit limited … me and Jasper Morris, + a few other French and Asian journalists – but it seemed that they were not all really engaged in tasting!
The format was open tasting … a random tasting … of 50+ wines, which does make the thing open to questions regarding method and reporting.
After tasting the first 10 wines, I decided to go for finding the best wines on the day and according to my palate. To rate and rank the rest, and make tasting notes would have been impossible for me within the two hours we had …
So, taking a free approach is the best I think … but the risk is missing some new wines and producers.
Would suggest that new members and wines are placed separately, as this does give us a better chance to evaluate the new kids on the blog.
To the tasting … in the old house of Henri Jayer … what a lovely afternoon. Thanks to Guillaume Rouget and his wife Laure Guilloteau for opening the doors to this legendary place.
2023 Aligoté In general
The 2023 vintage is abundant with very high yields, and a relatively short harvesting window.
The tasting showed that the Aligoté wines did well in this somewhat difficult vintage. Dilution is a problem in some wines … but rarely on a criminal scale … the overripeness, or should we call high phenolic ripeness, is also an issue … however, growing on the Hautes Côtes does reduce the risk of being too damaged by the canicule …
So, in reality, a surprisingly good and enjoyable set of wines … with very few wines with a critical quality.
The usual suspects
The tasting did reveal that it’s the same usual suspects that produce great wines year after year …
As mentioned, most of the wines were drinking well … with very few bad wines. There are no huge points differences … normal spread will be 87-91 ish … on my scale.
So, it is down to Vin d’émotion scores and style …
The Champions League
Sylvain Pataille Bourgogne Aligoté Les Auvonnes Au Pépé 2023
The Pataille Bourgogne Aligoté Les Auvonnes Au Pépé is the best wine of the day … slam dunk. It has the effortless feel of old vines … the silky notes without lacking energy and freshness. Very harmonious fruit and quite openly knit. A beautiful and effortless wine … adorable expression. Vin d’émotion without a doubt … one of the best Aligotés I have tasted recently. Bravo …
(Drink From 2029) – Fine (91p) – 
Nicolas Faure Bourgogne Aligoté La Corvée de Bully 2023
Typical Faure … large-scaled wine … intense and delightfully rich without any overripe notes. In its own style and league … offering so much complexity and depth. In a style and class of its own … a grand cru Aligoté even … but the Pataille is a mouthful. Wines were planted in 1914! – always a serious wine.
(Drink From 2029) – Very Good (90p) – 
Domaine Jean Fournier Bourgogne Aligoté Champ Forey 2023
Fournier had more contenders in this tasting … and all are good with two of them showing very well. The style is a bit more polished or less wild than Pataille … but in 2023, Pataille is showing brilliantly in my view. The Champ Forey was showing elegantly and effortless as always … Again, old vines planted in 1921 and 1945. Not a surprise as it’s normally among the best wines at this tasting. A blessing … merci …
(Drink From 2026) – Very Good (90p) – 
Domaine Jérôme Galeyrand Bourgogne Aligoté Bouzeron Les Clous 2023
I do like the Aligotés from Bouzeron in 2023. Galeyrand had more than one in the tasting, but I liked the balance of the Bouzeron. Lovely mineral balance although not quite matching the three old big boys above … this is, however, a wine I would enjoy chilled with my oysters … and this requires purity and freshness … frais et léger.
(Drink From 2026) – Very Good (90p) –
The outsiders
Axelle Machard de Gramont Bourgogne Aligoté “Le Chêne du Court” 2023
Axelle has her own expression with the high-ground terroir in Vergy. A unique venue just above Abbaye de Saint-Vivant de Vergy at altitude. Has a strong slightly edgy minerality … love it, and with spicy chicken, this could be truly brilliant. Could also work well with lobster and a hint of bisque. An outsider and often a guest at my lunch table.
(Drink From 2025) – Very Good (88-89p) –
Domaine Les Petits Lieux Bourgogne Aligoté 2023
The wine from the host Guillaume Rouget and his wife Laure Guilloteau who has created the estate Les Petits Lieux. This is a more classical Aligoté … delightful and balanced … Not very mineral, but has a good backbone nevertheless. A delightful glass that can work as an apéritif and with medium powerful dishes … thinking poultry and salads. A good first shot.
(Drink From 2025) – Very Good (89p) –
Pierre Louis Bersan Bourgogne Aligoté Cuvée Marianne 2023
Bersan is an outsider coming from Chablis. Quite powerful and intense with a good punch. A delicate intense core fruit that can handle even quite intense fish dishes … Wow …. a delightful change and surprise … seem to have missed this cuvée before. Need to study more in Chablis.
(Drink From 2026) – Very Good (89-90p) –
- A potential vin d´émotion - frais et léger