1/5
SweetnessDrySweet
The grape archive
Aligoté
Aligoté
A bright, high-acid Burgundy grape best known in fresh, mineral whites and the classic Kir aperitif.
Typical flavour register
01Lemon02Green apple03Pear04White flowers05Hazelnut
In the glass
A visual taste profile.
These scales describe a representative dry expression. Climate, harvest date, yields and winemaking can move an individual wine in another direction.
5/5
AciditySoftFresh
1/5
TanninSilkyFirm
2/5
BodyLightFull
3/5
FruitSavouryFruit-led
Where it grows
From origin to the wider vineyard.
The first country is the grape’s principal reference point; the remaining countries show important established cultivation rather than a complete planting census.
France
Core countryBourgogne Aligoté · Bouzeron · Mâconnais
Romania
EstablishedSmaller but established plantings
Bulgaria
EstablishedSmaller but established plantings
Three useful expressions
Bright & unoaked
Fresh fruit and stainless-steel ageing keep the wine direct and energetic.
Textured & gastronomic
Lees contact, ripe fruit or subtle oak can add breadth without losing freshness.
Complex & age-worthy
Selected sites and careful maturation create more layered, cellar-worthy wines.
Handling
Serve8–10 °C
GlassMedium white-wine glass
DecantUsually unnecessary
CellarBest enjoyed young; serious examples longer
At the table
Pair it by weight, freshness and aroma.
Why Aligoté matters
Its piercing acidity makes it unusually refreshing with salty foods and a natural partner for the cassis-based Kir cocktail.
The best examples balance the grape’s natural character with climate, soil and cellar choices. Treat the profile as a compass rather than a fixed recipe.
Reference databases and further readingVIVC · Variety database ↗OIV · Vitivinicultural data ↗Wine Folly · Grape guide ↗