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Domaine Charles Audoin, Bourgogne Aligoté

Burgundy, France 2015 (750mL)
$20.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Domaine Charles Audoin, Bourgogne Aligoté

This Burgundian white wine is mineral-driven, full of depth, texture, and energy. Crafted by celebrated producer Charles Audoin from 80-year-old vines in the northern Côte de Nuits, the 2015 Bourgogne Aligoté is a riveting expression of this lesser-known varietal. Said to be a cousin to Chardonnay, Aligoté can be neutral, quaffable and unimaginative, but when made in the right place it can also deliver a characterful, terroir-driven sensory explosion.
Such is the case here. This price is not an anomaly for this varietal - but, it should be given the quality found inside this bottle. A white wine of life, complexity and an authentic sense of place, this obscure relative will prompt an invitation to your table again and again at an everyday price.
Grown in Burgundy since the 17th century, the unique Aligoté varietal gained appellation status in 1937. A relative to Chardonnay, this grape is often relegated to lower stretches and high hilltops in the region. However, when derived from great parcels and mature vines, like this example, Aligoté can deliver mind-blowing expressions of place, along with a depth of minerality rivaling the mineral fingerprint of serious Chardonnay from some of the most famous villages. The 2015 Bourgogne Aligoté from Charles Audoin reveals unexpected texture and beautiful concentration along with a mineral profile, reminiscent of a leaner styled Puligny-Montrachet that you simply must experience.  
 
Charles Audoin and his oenologist wife Marie-Francoise, armed with four generations of wine knowledge and a hefty dose of foresight, founded Domaine Charles Audoin in 1972. The Domaine started in Marsannay with only three hectares and has since grown to over fourteen wisely culled hectares. In 2000, Charles and Marie-Francoise placed the family business in the capable hands of their son, Cyril. After enology school and years of hands-on experience in various vineyards around the world, this fifth-generation vigneron returned to his family, armed with experience, passion and focus toward single-vineyard production. Cyril has increasingly focused on the vineyard health, growing in an approach known as “Lutte Raisonnée” (reasoned fight) emphasizing traditional techniques like plowing and organic farming unless an emergency arrises. This traditional vinification strives to deliver the purest varietal expression while preserving freshness and a sense of place. The hand-harvested grapes undergo cold maceration before fermentation and are then transferred into French barrels which are mostly neutral. The result is an Aligoté that is a vivacious blueprint of terroir with more concentration and weight than you will find anywhere else.
 
The 2015 Bourgogne Aligoté displays a pale straw yellow core with green and light golden reflections. The mineral-driven aromas of oyster shell and crushed white rock expands to include pure fragrances of freshly cut yellow apple, lime blossom and salt-preserved lemon over a touch of honeysuckle, raw hazelnut and white mushroom. The palate lies at the high end of medium-bodied, and reveals beautiful brightness and firmness, evolving into an intense mineral expression that takes your taste buds on an exciting ride. Flavors of green apple, lime blossom, and notes reminiscent of the nose evolve into a parade of oyster shell and crushed white rock that seems to linger for minutes. This serious Aligoté is young, complex and delicious now, but has years of aging potential in its future. For instant gratification, decant for 45 minutes and enjoy in Burgundy stems between 50-60 degrees. For a pairing to match this beautiful white wine, try this recipe for Petrale Sole with Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc.
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Country
France
Region
Burgundy
Sub-Region
FranceBourgogne (Côte de Nuits)
Soil
Limestone and Clay
Farming
Lutte Raisonée
Blend
Aligoté
Alcohol
13.0
OAK
Mostly Neutral French Barrels

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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