The Aligoté Defense Rests

I get excited whenever I see an Aligote on the menu, or at a wine shop. I had previously tried the ones from Sabre, Roulot, De Moor, and enjoyed each one of them so much. Just ordered the ones that are recommended in the article as well. A bit hard to find Pataille in London, even in Paris. To me Aligote is simple, energetic, and honest. It's true to itself. But this makes me wonder if that's the case for most grapes that are not discovered by the larger public. Would a higher demand in the future generate a motivation in winemakers to "optimize" aligote to its full potential, with new and premium-tasting styles? Are we tasting more of the vines, terroir and climate in aligote, and less of the winemaking? Or aligote is already an "easy" grape. Probably things I'd discover the more I drink it.

I lived in France and can say the general derision for Aligote is well known and their preconception that it is only for Kir is also well known. This, as you mentioned is due to the 3 euro bottles from bad wine stores and supermarkets that frankly stink. Sadly this attitude is the same as people who only drink really bad mass produced Calfornia chardonnay have disdain for all Chardonnay.

The comment about the effects of vintage was fascinating: I tried the '16 De Villaine Bouzeron and noted it had a mild aroma of citrus (when cold) and a tart, somewhat herbal flavor. This description sounds more like Mr. Asimov's impression of the '16 Pernot than the '14 De Villains Bouzeron.

Been a fan of aligote for a while but I really did not like the 15 lafarge there was an intense perfume or floral note almost like hairspray on the mid palate that was difficult to enjoy. The others were delicious and went great with a crab and oysters dinner

A few years ago, we splurged on lunch at Taillevent, the famed Paris standard. Not wanting to overspend, and a bit befuddled by the extensive wine list, I asked the sommelier, who had recently been named the best in France, for a recommendation that wouldn't break our budget. His pick was an aligote, and it turned out to be a great choice, well-balanced between fruit and acidity, with a dose of the minerality I treasure in Burgundy whites. I think it cost 60 euros, making it one of the less-expensive wines on the list. Taillevent's inventory is one the most carefully chosen in the world, so I think there's no reason to dismiss aligote as inferior.

As a big fan of cowboy zinfandels, I part ways with you there. But you are so right about Aligoté. The best can age surprisingly well, comparable to well-made Pinot blancs. I have had eight year old Aligotês that paired wonderfully with rich meals.

I concur with my two New England compatriots here and applaud your defense of aligote. It has the potential to be an outstanding wine when grown in the right place and cared for by the right hands. The A. & P. de Villain is an obvious yet outstanding and powerful example, and the o the other others mentioned here are also good but, I would urge you to seek out one produced by the Dressner upstart Chablis mavens Alice et Olivier De Moor. They make a refined and sheer example that shows the sophistication this grape can achieve. I say this with 20+ years as a wine professional under my belt,in wholesale, import and retail, I always delight in a well made aligote! Cheers! DH

It's a good thing Isaac Asimov did not attend Eric's wine school. He would have forgotten all about "The World of Nitrogen," and moved onto something more crisp on the palate.

I enjoy this column, ysp, and am very much in agreement that we can all enjoy, or retch, every bottle as a mystery. Mysteries everyone has solved may make common TV, but...

"It turns out that aligoté is just like any other sort of wine. You can find good examples, great examples, bad examples, even horrendous examples." If this statement is indicative of what you learn in Wine School, I hope the tuition is free.

I find that Aligote in its most classic sense (higher yields, no oak, bright acids) has always been a simple, tangy wine that works well as an aperitif or with stuffed shellfish: These generally arrive on the US market for $15 or less. They are, perhaps, the Melon de Bourgogne or Jacquere of Burgundy. Examples that you cite in the article are rare in Burgundy but even rarer in the US and quite expensive: Most, perhaps with the exception of de Villain, are put through the Burgundy "process" and come across tasting more like an excellent Bourgogne blanc than Aligote....

Time to move to white Rioja, preferably of an old vintage. In the early 90's, a group of friends and I drank bottle after bottle of 1970 Castillo Ygay from Marques de Murrieta: it was spectacular--bananas, peaches, and hay with vibrant intensity and enough acidity for it to be a good wine with food. Then, again, there are so many great white wines being made in the Basque country.....

Chris Schlesinger's Blue Room in Cambridge MA always seemed to have an interesting Aligote on hand from its start in the early 1980's. Broader recognition fuels the virtuous cycle that encourages producers to devote more attention, certainly something to welcome. And Mr. Asimov, Ridge makes beautifully restrained zinfandels for adults. But you know that.

I like the stuff, especially when it comes from Bouzeron. I've had at least 50 Aligotes. None of them was as good as any of the best 50 Chardonnays I've consumed, but that leaves a lot of room for high quality. Not just terroir, but setting is important. The hotter the temp, the more I like Aligote (and Riesling). Please don't give it to me with a pot roast on a cold February night here in Maine. But maybe next week when the temp will brush 90. Dan Kravitz