Aligoté, another white grape permitted in Burgundy, used to be planted in Grand Cru sites, like Corton Charlemagne and Montrachet, along with Chardonnay in the 19th century, but has fallen out of favor and now represents only about seven percent of Burgundy’s plantings. But it is currently having a renaissance and gaining in popularity. Domaine du Cellier aux Moines’ energetic 2024 shows why. It’s racy, from the grapes inherently high acidity, and minerally because the vines were planted roughly 80 years ago high, under the rocks, (sous les roches, in French) on an east-facing slope in Montagny on what winemaker Guillaume Marko notes is “very good limestone.” The 2024 expands in the mouth showing good weight, revealing layers of stony flintiness emblematic of the wines from Montagny. Hints of creaminess appear with time in the glass in this tightly wound youthful beauty. Marko insists that Aligoté can express terroir as well as Chardonnay. Having tasted many vintages of this wine and still guarding several bottles of the 2020 in my cellar, which, I might add, are developing beautiful complexity, he gets no argument from me. The vines were planted in May 1945, just after the huge German army garrisoned in Montagny left, making this wine a historical and gustatory treasure. So, lay down a few bottles and open one every May 8 to celebrate.
95 Michael Apstein – May 20, 2026