Domaine Borgeot "Les Tournelles" Bouzeron Aligote 2021
(Burgundy, France)

About The Winery:

The Borgeot brothers, Pascal and Laurent, are fourth generation winemakers. The future is also bright for this Domaine with the introduction of the talented Julia Borgeot, Pascals daughter. We knew Julia as a small child and now as an impressive vigneron in her own right. Exciting times ahead !!
Their village Remigny is in the departement of Saone et Loire, so they are not in the Cote d’Or phone book, a source of eternal consternation for them, especially with the village of Santenay in site across the fields. Together, they work 48 acres of vines, half in red, half in white. The majority of these vines are 30 years old or older, with parcels of Santenay ‘Les Gravieres’ and Santenay ‘Vieilles Vignes’ older than 50 years. For over twenty years, their vines have received only organic fertilizers. They work the soil in winter to keep down weeds and increase micro-bacteriological activity. Where they have replanted, they have chosen strains of vines that are low yielding. All of these policies are aimed at bringing the harvest to full and perfect maturity as often as possible.

The fact that the Borgeot brothers use only organic fertilizers, pay close attention to soil conditions and strive to limit vine yields naturally shows a primary concern for the health of the grape crop. Without this, no amount of winemaking skill, technology or special equipment can produce great wine. This said, the brothers are perfectionists, and every step in the winemaking process is carefully studied. The excellent quality of their harvest is brought to its potential using traditional methods and modern understanding.

The Domain Borgeot that Pascal and Laurent Borgeot founded in 1985 with a few key parcels of Santenay vines that they inherited from their father, has grown into one of the most respected wineries in the Cote de Beaune. Through clever vineyard acquisition and investment, they now have an impressive list of ‘appellations’ and with a modern micro-negoce alongside, are able to propose their wines for export. Their reputation locally, however, is such that more-famous producers often send their children to apprentice at the domain.

VINIFICATION:
During the harvest, the principle aim is to bring the fruit to the winery intact. When ripeness has been assured, individual parcels are picked by hand, and the grapes are sorted on a moving belt before being put into fermentation tanks. Handpicking and sorting avoids unnecessary stems and leaves getting into the crush. The harvest is then completely destemmed, again to avoid green tannins from stems and vegetation. Vinification is ‘traditional’, meaning cold maceration for 10 to 12 days leading up to fermentation.

The classic ‘floating cap’ is pumped over and punched down twice a day. A modern pneumatic press and temperature control equipment play an essential role in the outcome of the wine. The goal is to preserve the fruitiness of the harvest, while bringing out the individual minerality of the various parcels. All of the wine, except the Aligote, is oak-aged, the amount of oak and the age of the barrels depends on the wine and the vintage ( 25% new oak is average). After a light filtration, the wines are estate-bottled under anaerobic conditions.

This sleeper estate produces deeply flavored, soulful Burgundies, and if they weren't so far off the beaten path, they would have a much higher profile, and their wines would cost a lot more. Run by brothers Laurent and Pascal, their cellars are in Remigny, where they are one of only four growers in the village. We are huge fans of their wines, as they are relative great values in the category of White Burgundy.
The village of Bouzeron is famous for its production of the "other White Burgundy" grape, Aligote. Borgeot's version is super fresh, floral, and a lot more multi-dimensional than other Aligotes!

Tasting Notes:

Zesty notes of green apple, citrus, white flowers, and rocky minerality are all offered up on an elegant palate. Great as an aperitif, it's also wonderful with fish and seafood courses.

About the Wine:

A brilliant pale yellow color. Domaine Borgeot Bouzeron Les Tournelles Aligote is expressive and releases the typical aromas of its grape variety: white flowers and lemon, combined with mineral notes. On the palate, it proves to have beautiful liveliness. The finish is slightly acidic and leaves a nice sensation of freshness. Excellent with seafood, fish, salad, white meat and pasta in light sauce.

Domaine Borgeot was originally established in 1903 in the village of Rémigny, near Santenay, and is now run by fourth-generation brothers Laurent and Pascal Borgeot. They farm 23 hectares of vineyards spread across several appellations, including not just Puligny-Montrachet but Chassagne-Montrachet, Bouzeron, and Santenay. Although they make every effort to follow organic practices in their farming, they describe their approach—as so many do in Burgundy—as lutte raisonnée (reasoned fight), in which organic methods are followed except in the most extreme circumstances.