Our tasting impressions
Short aging in old oak barrels seems like a masterstroke. We love the added zest, richness and expressiveness of the 2022 - without any flavor additions from the wood. This is a fine and very appetizing Aligoté. A wonderful aperitif and it has become one of our top choices to pair with sushi.
About this wine
100% Aligoté from a single vineyard in Bligny-Les-Beaune planted in 2003. The soil is gravel and sand. The yield was just 35 hl/ha even though Guillaume had enough grapes to produce twice that amount. Hand-harvested, whole grape clusters were pressed, then fermented in steel tanks for 9-12 days. He had vacant 4-5 year-old oak barrels, so he put the Aligoté in for 4 months. The aging continued in tank and 3 months in bottle before bottling in February, 2023.
About the grape
Aligoté is the third most planted grape in Burgundy. It is easy to cultivate and thrives in cooler locations than Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Naturally, high in acidity, Aligoté is under-appreciated, perhaps as a result of its traditional role mixed with Crème de Cassis in Kir.
About the Vintage
2022 is shaping up to be remarkable. Much like the historic 1999 vintage, the uncommon combination of large crops and high quality exists. It was hot and harvests were early but the grapes achieved excellent and balanced ripeness.
Guillaume Guiton is a fiercely dedicated and extraordinary vigneron and a super nice guy. In the grand scheme of Burgundy, his vineyards would be considered modest...his wines, we consider, anything but.
He has been running this 11.5 hectare Domaine since 2002. His father Jean started it in 1973. Very much a hybrid estate, Guillaume owns 4ha, rents the rest and even buys grapes in his pursuit of the best he can get. He produces about 50,000 bottles per year.
He is a devoted terroirista, who welcomes the opportunity not to intervene in what nature offers. His methods vary based on vintage circumstances but he usually de-stems his red grapes and mostly avoids fining and filtration.
Guillaume is an intense student of barrels. He raises many wines in a variety of barrels before blending, only uses them for 6 years and never employs more than 20% new oak.
