($33):  Based in Puligny-Montrachet, Domaine Paul Pernot et Fils, a family-owned and run domaine, is one of Burgundy’s stars for white wines.  No question, their Bâtard-and Bienvenue-Bâtard-Montrachet are stunning, albeit at triple digit prices.  They put the same care that goes into those Grand Crus into their Bourgogne Aligoté.  Aligoté is the second permitted white grape in Burgundy and is planted in about 4,500 acres throughout the Côte d’Or and in the Chablis area (compared to 37,500 acres for Chardonnay).  Aligoté can make thin and sharp wines and was, and still is, used to make a Kir, an aperitif made with a touch of cassis syrup poured into a glass of Aligoté. Pernot’s rendition, however, has remarkable depth and purity that would be wasted in a Kir.  Instead, embrace this energetic wine with its citrus-tinged acidity the next time you need to cut through spicy Asian fare, steamed clams or other bivalves.  My friend, John Hayes, refers to it as a “dust-buster.”
90 Michael Apstein Aug 13, 2019