Discover the Stunning Non-Chardonnay White Wine Making Waves in Burgundy

Drone footage of a village in southern Burgundy.

Beneath the warm sun of a June afternoon, Sylvain Pataille bends down to inspect a cluster of white grapes. Pushing his bronze curls behind his ear, he gently palms the green-skinned fruit, checking for development and signs of disease. “Bon!” he declares with the relief of a grower who traffics in chemical-free farming. Satisfied, he ambles down the horse-plowed vineyard of La Charme Aux Prêtres to continue his assessment.

Pataille farms small organic and biodynamic vineyards in the commune of Marsannay-la-Côte which falls within the broader appellation Marsannay in the northern stretch of the Côte de Nuits of Burgundy, France. Internationally, wine drinkers may associate Marsannay with wallet-friendlier Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. For Pataille, it’s the spellbinding wines of old vine Aligoté Doré that tether him to the place.

“When I created the Domaine, the vines I could afford were Gamay and Aligoté; they were hard to sell and no one wanted them,” he explains to Hemispheres. Pataille’s family didn’t own vineyards, so he acquired what he could in a notoriously expensive region of the world. In 2001, Pataille bottled his first Aligoté (pronounced “al-uh-GO-tay”.)

Two decades later, his investment in the “golden” Aligoté is rewarded. This almost forgotten white grape, long overlooked in favor of the noble Chardonnay, has regained popularity, both among sommeliers and adventurous drinkers looking for reasonably priced alternatives in Burgundy.

The Saint-Germain de Fuissé church.

However, not all Aligoté is made equal. The blame for the wine’s poor reputation in the past lies with the ubiquitous “green Aligoté” or Aligoté Vert, a high-yielding modern clonal selection that produces simple wines. Conversely, Aligoté Doré hardly has a familial resemblance with its vibrant, electric energy akin to Riesling or Chenin Blanc.

Paul Wasserman, of Becky Wasserman & Co., the importer of Pataille’s wines, says “Sylvain was a pivotal figure in the resurgence of Aligoté”. In 2013, Pataille reached out to the Wasserman team with what he called a “silly idea”. He expressed, “I have these single-vineyard Aligotés that I produce and age separately, but I blend them before bottling, and I believe it’s a pity”. The lament, because Aligoté proponents believe in the grape’s potential for purity and expressiveness.

Pataille isn’t the only producer separating Aligoté by vineyard. Half an hour south of his property, past renowned Pinot Noir appellations of Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges, is Domaine Chanterêves. Situated in Savigny-lès-Beaune outside of Beaune city in the Côte-d’Or, Tomoko Kuriyama and Guillaume Bott, a Franco-American couple, bottle five Aligotés.

“We like working with Aligoté because it produces wines with real terroir definition,” Kuriyama says, and also notes reasons like disease resistance and climate resilience among others.

Paul, an importer of Chanterêves, describes the pair’s appeal. “They’re creating the wines they want to drink, which coincidentally are in tune with the collective consciousness, at the intersection of Burgundy aficionados and the natty wine crowd,” he states.

Alice and Olivier De Moor, located 90 minutes northwest of Chanterêves just south of Chablis in Courgis, fiercely maintain the environmental sustainability of their vineyards. They produce long-lasting Aligotés and showcase the bottled craftsmanship with Olivier’s handmade labels. Olivier recently wrote an open letter to the winemaking community in Burgundy, urging the development of ecological corridors to safeguard viticulture against climate disruption.

Les Aligoteurs is a collective of French producers dedicated to the revival of Aligoté. They practice organic farming and minimalist winemaking, much like progressive wine producers De Moor. Aligoté is preferred because it can better tolerate the changes in climate due to its slow ripening and acid retention characteristics.

According to Wasserman of Les Aligoteurs, “Aligoté has always been a great wine, but it took the concerted effort of a large group of people for it to be recognized. Now, Aligoté is throwing a party and everyone is invited.”

Vineyards are located in the Chablis region.

To experience an Aligoté Road Trip, check out these places to stay

Dijon Close to Marsannay, the historical city of Dijon impresses with its palimpsest of architecture from the medieval to modern. The five-star 88 room Grand Hotel La Cloche sits in the heart of the city center.

Beaune Surrounded by 14 acres of garden and forest, Relais & Châteaux property ​Hostellerie de Levernois​ offers 26 rooms and suites in a traditional Burgundian house. Guests can walk or bike off a lunch of garlic snails and parsley ham with Aligoté at the property’s classic Bistrot du Bord de l’Eau.

Chablis Design-forward Château de la Resle, a small hotel with nine rooms, encourages honest conversations between staff and guests regarding climate change. The property continues implementing environmentally friendly elements into its offer including organic cleaning products and reduction of meat in meals.

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About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!