When your wine standards are minimal and your exposure to varietals is limited, wine palate growth is unavoidable with each new wine that you taste. I think this has truly been the case specifically for white wines for me. My palate was fairly well refined regarding red wines but I lacked an opinion about most white wines (as long as they weren’t sweet). With each week that we taste a new white wine varietal, I find myself adding it to the list of wines that I enjoy and this week, Aligoté was no exception!
Aligoté is traditionally grown in France and is specifically known for production in the Burgundy region. Red Burgundy wines are typically the Pinot Noir grape while white Burgundy wines are typically Chardonnay. However, Aligoté is secondary grape in white Burgundy wines and is considered a “poor cousin” to Chardonnay.
I was not aware of Aligoté’s relationship to Chardonnay, so as I looked back over my notes upon learning this fact, it was amusing to see the resemblance to Chardonnay. This Aligoté had a beautiful golden color (typically you would associate a golden color with Chardonnay), and my exact notes for the aromas were: “resemblance of a Chardonnay buttery aroma, mild citrus.” As for the flavor, I personally found this to be better than a Chardonnay as I have grown away from Chards as my palate has developed. This flavors in this wine were of apples, pears and peaches with high acidity. If you like a very mild, unoaked Chard, I would recommend exploring Aligoté!
I rated this wine a four out of five cork rating. The 2015 Chavy Chouet “Les Petite Poiriers” Aligote typically retails around $20.