WTN: Does anybody drink aligotes?

[Jenise]

2018 Giraudon Bourgogne-Aligoté
Hard to believe there's a white wine this good for 15 bucks. Super fresh with a nose of clean laundry, sea spray and muted honeydew melon with feijoa (called pineapple guava in California) and green apple on the palate. Only 12.5% alc. A brilliantly balanced and refreshing wine for the money that really shows the grape, and I have the model of a superb Coche-Dury in my head when I say that. I don't think I've ever had an inexpensive aligote that didn't taste like a washed-out chardonnay. This most certainly does not. Going to order some of this!

Sounds great. I've had a couple earlier vintages, sounds like they upped their game. I usually buy de Villiane or Lafarge Aligotes, but pricier. Fichet usually my fave under $20, But will try Giraudon again if I see.

When Aligote is good, it can be a great thrill. I love the Buisson-Charles and Benoit Ente versions. The Leroy stuff, of course.

The last Aligoté on which I can find a TN was drunk in 2013! It was from Domaine Goisot, an excellent producer in the Auxerrois region of N.Burgundy near Chablis. I rated it quite good in a crisp style but not good enough evidently for me to explore the grape further. I seem to recall having owned an Aligoté from Coche-Dury but can find no TN; it clearly did not make a big impression.

just bought some Aligote from Boyer Martenot and from Arlaud..notes will follow after I drink em

[Jenise]

When Aligote is good, it can be a great thrill. I love the Buisson-Charles and Benoit Ente versions. The Leroy stuff, of course.

Yes, I had the Coche Dury I mentioned about a year ago, and a few years before that a Ponsot. But I've never found even a glimmer of that in a budget-priced model until this one. I was moved to buy it because it showed up in a local Deli I frequent; the owner's a wine geek who chooses every wine he sells, and his store is full mostly of Rhones, Burgs and Italian wines, reflecting his own tastes. If it's on the shelf, he personally chose it. I've never seen an aligote there--hence, I bought it. Even with that preamble I have to admit to being surprised at how good this was. It would compare with good producers I've had in the $30's--Gambal, and a few others. Basically we just never see aligote here; your average American in my region doesn't even know what it is.

[Jenise]

Sounds great. I've had a couple earlier vintages, sounds like they upped their game. I usually buy de Villiane or Lafarge Aligotes, but pricier. Fichet usually my fave under $20, But will try Giraudon again if I see.

Never had a Giraudon before, don't know what's going on. Might just be a great year for aligote and they did everything right for once as does occasionally happen. I just know I've never had an aligote under $30 that tasted anything like what I loved in Coche-Dury and Ponsot until this one.

I see almost no Aligote (nor Passetoutgrains, the red "equivalent") out here, do try them whenever I see them. I think they're a better value overall than the many undistiguished regular Bourgogne AOCs I've had. Glad you found a good one.

Jenise: I saw your comments re the average person in your region and thought I wd relate this tale..A close friend of ours used to spend a month in Nantucket, Mass. every Summer with his family and wd bring back wines from a winery on the island. Their wines were made from grapes sourced elsewhere and well crafted..They made a delightful Aligote, sourced from grapes grown in Washington, for several years before losing the source..at which point they stopped making an Aligote..It compared quite nicely to a de Villaine Aligote that I bought to drink with my friend lo those many years ago. And no, I have no clue what the Washington source was.

[Jenise]

Jon, for a few years recently (maybe three, four) California winemaker Jed Steele has been making a Washington aligote. Not sure of his source but might be the same vineyard--very unlikely there's more of it here.

By the way, Jenise, the good white B producers who craft their generic Bourgognes with care will often be as meticulous about their Aligotes. And I sometimes find them more interesting than the Bourgognes.

[Jenise]

I would expect that. And I know on the ground in Burgundy there are many good options. We just see very few in my area.