Aligoté in Bouzeron

The White wines from the Aligoté grape have made Bouzeron's reputation. As early as 1730, the historian (some might say early travel writer) Abbé Courtépée, in his Description du Duché de Bourgogne, praised their distinctive caracter: dry, yet delicate, and distinguished by roundness and finesse so cherished inthe varietal.

Aligoté has long been cultivated in Burgundy, formerly in a position of favor on the slopes of the Côte d'Or's great white villages of Meursault and Pernand-Vergelesses. The dictates of popular taste led to its replacement by such better-known grapes as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and today Aligoté has been largely relegated to flatter regions with richer soils which produce an abundance of Bourgogne Aligoté that doesn't live up to its potential.

In Bouzeron, however, the solid local tradition of quality continues unabated. Aligoté still occupies the place of honor, benefiting from the conditions and attention it so justly deserves. Bouzeron is unique: it is the only village in Burgubdiy where this varietal is cultivated exclusively on the slopes.

In 1979 its Aligotés were awarded seperate Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée status among Bourgogne Aligotés, and 1997 saw the creation of the full-fledged seperate Bouzeron Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée.