SAQ Bourgogne Aligoté 2022, Stephane Murat

In Burgundy, 2022 marks the return of a generous, yet still balanced vintage. Hence the little pun regarding this Aligoté which, even though it was conceived in the sun, will retain the suppleness and fruit typical of the Hautes-Côtes.

The Murat brothers have established themselves in two different areas of winemaking. Hervé is dedicated to a micro-négoce specializing in old parcels, while Stéphane, who has been heading the estate since 2017, focuses on affordable Hautes-Côtes-de-Nuits. Here, the latter offers us a lively Aligoté with lemony notes that also provides green apple, finishing with a delicate minerality.

As a regional appellation that mentions the grape variety (the only one to do so), one should keep in mind that Aligoté transforms depending on the zones where it is grown. Some will be dry and sharp to the point of begging for cassis, others will be distinctive (Bouzeron) and round. But even though the grape variety is naturally not very expressive, the pursuit of terroir will bring a unique identity to every house that takes the trouble to do things well. Quebec has been drinking Aligoté for over sixty years; here is a great opportunity to rediscover this pearl of Burgundy.

• To pair with it: Burgundy-style snails, if you manage to find the dishes from the 90s that were packed away during your last move…
• For a bit of trivia: The bottle label is typically Quebecois, created by artist Carl Campeau,
• To better understand the birth of the appellation: Our next Burgundy workshop
• To compare: More expensive, but more memorable than this 2021 Aligoté by François Mikulski, a complex vintage available at the SAQ (14419902)