2022 Bourgogne Aligoté, Les Grandes Terres, Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur

Clean yellow. Quite powerful if very fresh, white fruit and greengage. Tension with a little almond paste to soften the finish. All in barrel, with two barrels of skin contact as an experiment, blended in. 

Drink 2024 - 2026

The 2022 Bourgogne Aligoté was fined one week before my visit. It has a straightforward bouquet, clean and fresh with orange zest, citrus fruit and a touch of menthol. The palate is well-balanced, again, not the most complex that I have tasted, but I like the almost Rhône-like pithiness on the finish.

All our vines are on the slopes, and we did not observe any stress in the Chardonnay,” Bitouzet-Prieur informs. “Beaune Les Aussy was the only vineyard that showed some signs of stress because the soils are so free-draining. We picked from August 25 until August 31. It was a normal length of harvest, even though the volume was higher. You didn’t have to look out for bunches that were not ripe. 

I find the 2022s fresher than the 2020s, with slightly lower alcohol. The 2020 vintage was precocious, and I think those wines will drink younger.” This is another domaine where the Volnay Clos des Chênes forms a high point, closely followed by the Caillerets. Amongst the whites, I particularly like the superb Meursault Santenots, which had the audacity to outshine the Les Perrières and Les Charmes.

Drink 2023 - 2027