Drone footage of a village in southern Burgundy.

On a warm June afternoon, Sylvain Pataille inspects a cluster of white grapes under the sun. He carefully examines the green-skinned fruit for development and signs of disease, declaring them good. This is a relief for him as he practices chemical-free farming. Feeling satisfied, he proceeds to the horse-plowed vineyard of La Charme Aux Prêtres to continue his assessment.

Pataille is a farmer who operates small organic and biodynamic vineyards in the commune of Marsannay-la-Côte, located within the larger Marsannay appellation in the northern part of the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy, France. Marsannay is known worldwide to wine enthusiasts for its affordable Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. However, for Pataille, it’s the captivating wines of old vine Aligoté Doré that keep him tied to this region.

“When I established the Domaine, I could only afford Gamay and Aligoté vines; they were difficult to sell and nobody wanted them,” Pataille tells Hemispheres. In a region known for its high prices, Pataille’s family didn’t own vineyards, so he bought what he could. In 2001, Pataille bottled his first Aligoté, pronounced “al-uh-GO-tay.”

Fast-forward two decades and his bet on “golden” Aligoté has paid off. This all-but-forgotten white grape, long shunned in favor of nobler Chardonnay, has found favor anew, both from sommeliers to open-minded drinkers seeking affordable alternatives in Burgundy.

The church of Saint-Germain de Fuissé.

Not all Aligoté is created equal, however. Blame for the wine’s poor reputation of the past falls on the ubiquitous “green Aligoté” or Aligoté Vert, a high-yielding modern clonal selection responsible for simple wines. Aligoté Doré, on the other hand, hardly bears a familial resemblance with its nervy, electric energy comparable to Riesling or Chenin Blanc.

“Sylvain was a catalyst in the popularity of Aligoté” says Paul Wasserman of Becky Wasserman & Co., the importer of Pataille’s wines. In 2013, Pataille called the Wasserman team to announce a “silly idea” recalls Paul. “I have these single-vineyard Aligotés that I make and age separately, but I blend them before bottling, and I think it is a shame’” Pataille told them. A shame because Aligoté evangelists believe in the grape’s capacity for transparency and expressiveness.

Pataille isn’t the only winemaker who cultivates Aligoté grapes separately by vineyard. A short 30-minute drive south from his location, beyond well-renowned Pinot Noir regions of Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges, one would find Domaine Chanterêves. This winery is fondly nestled in Savigny-lès-Beaune, a little outside Beaune city in the lush landscapes of the Côte-d’Or. It’s run by a Franco-American couple, Tomoko Kuriyama and Guillaume Bott, who proudly produce five different Aligotés.

Kuriyama expresses her fondness for working with Aligoté, stating that it lends a distinct terroir definition to the wines. Other appealing characteristics include resilience to climate fluctuations and resistance to diseases.

Paul, an importer of the Chanterêves wines, gives his two cents regarding the charm of these wines. According to him, Kuriyama and Bott are crafting wines that align with their personal preferences, coincidentally hitting the right chords with both traditional Burgundy connoisseurs and the new-age natural wine enthusiasts.

90 minutes northwest from Chanterêves near Chablis, in a town called Courgis, Alice and Olivier De Moor passionately safeguard the environmental preservation of their vineyards. The fervor they display is often compared to a mother bear protecting her cubs. They are known for producing Aligotés with remarkable longevity, and they celebrate their bottled masterpieces with Olivier’s handcrafted labels. Recently, Olivier authored an open letter to the winemaking fraternity in Burgundy, highlighting a dire need for creating ecological passages to help shield the viticulture sector from the ravages of climate change.

Les Aligoteurs, a group of French producers devoted to Aligoté’s renaissance, shares the De Moor’s progressive ethos of organic farming and minimalist winemaking. The fact that Aligoté tolerates climate change due to its slower ripening and acid retention furthers their cause.

“There were always great Aligotés, but it took a sizeable group of them for the world to notice” says Wasserman of Les Aligoteurs. “Now Aligoté’s having a party, and everyone is invited” he says.

Vineyards in Chablis.

For an Aligoté Road Trip, Here’s Where to Stay

Dijon is a historical city that is a true architectural palimpsest, covering the spectrum from medieval to modern designs. One of the city’s central features is the five-star, 88-room Grand Hotel La Cloche, which is situated in the heart of the city.

Just nearby is Beaune, where the authentic Burgundian house, Hostellerie de Levernois, is situated. This Relais & Châteaux property is nestled within 14 acres of gardens and forest, offering 26 rooms and suites for guests. A visit allows for a leisurely stroll or bike ride post-lunch to enjoy signature dishes like garlic snails and parsley ham paired with Aligoté, courtesy of the Bistrot du Bord de l’Eau on-premises.

For a more contemporary experience, Chablis houses the design-forward Château de la Resle. This compact hotel houses just nine rooms and is known for encouraging guests to engage in discussions about climate change. The venue further demonstrates their commitment to environmental sustainability through the use of organic cleaning products and reducing the quantity of meat served in meals.

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