2020 Domaine du Vieux Collège -- Bourgogne Aligoté -- Burgundy, France

2020 Domaine du Vieux Collège -- Bourgogne Aligoté -- Burgundy, France

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What are the grapes used in Burgundy? If you said Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, you were right enough, but there are other grapes grown there, some with ancient histories, that can use Bourgogne on the label as long as the varietal is also prominently stated. Domaine du Vieux Collège, in the far north of the Côte de Nuits, is now in the hands of the 7th generation of the Guyard family. Certified organic in 2014, the domaine makes the full range of burgundy wines, Red, Rosé, Sparkling, and both Whites, from both Chardonnay and Aligoté (alley-go-TAY). Chardonnay and Aligoté are siblings that share Gouais Blanc and Pinot Noir as parents, but Aligoté can struggle to achieve full ripeness unless the vintage is a warm one. With climate change, that has been happening more and more often, making Aligoté one of the few winners in the climate change games! One traditional use of the wine, especially in cooler years when the acidity of the wine is untamed, is to add a splash of black currant liqueur and make a Kir. (A Kir Royale uses sparkling wine, which, in the case of Crémant de Bourgogne, often contains a healthy dose of Aligoté.) Flavors of green apple and waxy pear, yellow grapefruit that pair with buttery and creamy noodles or aged cheeses.