Bourgogne aligoté

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The appellation area extends approximately 250 kilometres from north to south, covering more than 300 communes spread across the departments of Yonne, Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, and Rhône.
• The vineyards of the north (Yonne and Châtillonnais) rest on Upper Jurassic sediments with predominantly marly substrates, at elevations between 150 and 300 metres.
• From Dijon to the outskirts of Lyon, the substrates are predominantly calcareous or marly Jurassic formations, with outcrops of metamorphic and granitic bedrock generating acidic soils, at elevations between 250 and 400 metres. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The climate is cool oceanic, with a mean annual temperature of 11 °C and a moderate, regular rainfall pattern, without any pronounced summer drought.
• The relief of the Morvan and Charolais hills generates a foehn effect toward the south-east, producing lower humidity and higher temperatures than the regional baseline.

• The appellation d'origine contrôlée « Bourgogne aligoté » was recognised by decree on 31 July 1937, following various court rulings handed down between 1919 and 1930.
• Aligoté is an ancient Burgundian grape variety, probably originating from the Hautes Côtes, which originally produced wines described as « grands ordinaires », of intermediate quality between fine wines and everyday production.

• The wines display a clear green-tinged colour and an aromatic expression dominated by tart, zesty notes, with a bouquet that is generally herbaceous, lively, and fresh.
• Short ageing most often yields wines to be enjoyed young, with a cellaring potential generally of two to three years.

• Aligoté planted in the relatively heavy foothill soils of Côte d'Or produces light wines with good vivacity, while parcels on slopes, on less fertile soils, yield more complex wines capable of ageing.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF)
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — BIVB