The character

Aligoté is the other white grape of Burgundy — the variety that isn’t Chardonnay. For most of the 20th century it was relegated to entry-level Bourgogne Aligoté at modest price points, used primarily to make Kir (mixed with crème de cassis). The last two decades have seen a serious quality revolution, with producers like Aubert de Villaine, Sylvain Pataille, Coche-Dury, Ponsot, and Lafarge bottling Aligoté with the same intentionality they bring to their best Chardonnay sites.

Where it grows best

Burgundy: Bourgogne Aligoté is the general appellation; Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise is the only village-level Aligoté appellation (and one of the few places the grape gets serious attention). Some old-vine Aligoté still exists in Premier and Grand Cru-level Chardonnay sites and produces remarkable wine from those parcels. Smaller plantings in Eastern Europe (where Aligoté is a workhorse white), parts of Switzerland, and a tiny amount in California (Bonny Doon) and Oregon.

How it tastes

Lemon, green apple, white flower (acacia), sometimes a steely-mineral edge that resembles Chablis. Acid is bright to high; alcohol typically 11.5-13%; texture is light to medium. Top Aligoté from a serious producer shows much more depth and length than the grape’s reputation suggests.

How it ages

Most Aligoté is meant for early drinking. Top bottlings — particularly from old-vine sites like de Villaine’s Bouzeron and the producers mentioned above — age ten to twenty years and develop a honeyed, nutty complexity that resembles aged Chablis at a fraction of the price.

What to pair with

Oysters and shellfish. Light fish preparations. Salads. Aperitif (the traditional French aperitif Kir is white Aligoté with a splash of crème de cassis). Goat cheese. Aligoté is the great undervalued food white of Burgundy.