François Carillon Aligoté | 2022

At Vinya, we’re obsessed with Aligoté, a historical grape that was once the noble white of Burgundy. Finicky and hard-to-grow, the late ripening variety was ripped-out in favor of the easier-to-grow, prolific Chardonnay. Like Chardonnay, Aligoté is an exceptional translator of terroir, packing a mouthful of frosty minerality, yet there’s something mysterious about it, dropping its clues of sweet licorice, fennel, and corn husk on the palate. Made from the premier Aligoté clone, Jaune Doré, Carillon’s vines grow in both Puligny-Montrachet and in the village of Corpeau, just south. With an impressive vine age of more than fifty years, he treats his Aligoté just like his Premier Cru Chardonnays, with minimal stirring of the lees and aging in a small percentage of new French Allier oak. A Vinya fan favorite, we receive a small allocation of this wine every year. A very complex wine for the price, enjoy this weekly, while you hold onto those Puligny-Montrachets. ~Allegra A