Chalmeau Bourgogne Aligote 2023

Aligote from Domaine Chalmeau in Chitry, the village between Auxerre and Chablis where Patrick, Christine and Elodie Chalmeau farm over 17 hectares sustainably — an estate started by Patrick's grandfather after the second world war. Where Aligote was once the sharp grape you hid under creme de cassis, this one shows minerality with a soft, rounded palate, fresh in the glass with an interesting finish — complex and layered, with precision and finesse.

Chitry-le-Fort sits about fifteen minutes southwest of Chablis, just outside that appellation. The ground is clay and limestone, with less limestone than Chablis proper. Elodie Chalmeau reckons that is why Chitry wines come out more aromatic than their famous neighbour. The Aligoté vines are around 20 years old and planted densely, at 7,000 to the hectare, across 5.5 hectares of the family's 20.

Elodie came home in September 2005 after a stint in the marketing office at La Chablisienne. Her parents had gone full-time into wine in 1984. The fruit is machine harvested, and the wine is made and aged only in stainless steel.

The producer's own notes describe a pale yellow with green glints, acacia and orange blossom on the nose, and a long mineral finish. Open it as an aperitif or with oysters, a seafood platter or fresh cheeses.