Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté
Ellie’s pick this week is a lovely Bourgogne Aligoté from Goisot, an organic and biodynamic winemaker out of Burgundy. This Aligoté is particularly exciting because it can be seen as a reinterpretation of a classic Burgundy white wine, using Aligoté instead of the typical Chardonnay grape. This wine is dry, with a fuller body, a light finish, nice minerality, and the high acid typical of Burgundian wines. You’ll find notes of pear, apple, and green apple on this bright and clean Aligoté. It’s going to be fuller than its neighbor Chablis, but not as full as Chardonnay. Goisot’s Aligoté is a great value and could be an alternative to the Burgundian Chardonnays you might be used to drinking. Aligoté wine represents innovation in Burgundy, winemakers are starting to vintify the once less popular Aligoté as a viable varietal in the area. The same winemaking principles are going into vintifiying Aligoté as the popular Chardonnays from the same region.
For more than a century, a love for the vines, the land, and the wines has been passed down from generation to generation and can be seen in the quality of the wines made by the Goisot estate. Jean-Hughes and his wife Ghislane took over in 1979. In Burgundy, Jean-Hughes Goisot was one of the pioneers of biodynamic viticulture, he was followed in that pursuit by their son Guilhem and his wife Marie in 2005. To their family, it is a point of honor to work the land and vines with patience and respect for nature. They combine modern-day expertice with the tested knowledge of the past, producing wines that are widely recognized as the area’s finest and that are certified organic and biodynamic. The Goisots are dedicated to low yields, sustainable farming, and natural, minimalist vinifications. They spend more time in their vineyards than their cellars, continually plowing the soil so the roots burrow deep into the bedrock beneath the topsoil. Entirely hand-harvested, the grapes undergo rigorous scrutiny both in the vineyards and in the cellars. The whole crop is destemmed, crushed and pressed gently, and only wild, indigenous yeasts are used for fermentation. This Aligoté is harvested from six hectares of of 10-30+ year-old vines located on the high, cool slopes of dense, chalky soil. It is then fermented and set on fine lees in stainless steel vats.
The Goisots have always been keen to care for the land, its people, and its fruits. It is from this respect that the logic of cultivating differently appeared as obvious to them. After having adopted organic farming in 1990, the estate was certified organic with ECOCERT in 2001 And in 2005, working with the same respect and love of the land, Guilhem and Marie obtained biodynamic certification from DEMETER after taking over the estate and winemaking.
We’re incredibly pleased to share this wine with you. Try a bottle for yourself and experience a new varietal from a familiar region.
