Domaine Boris Champy 2021 Aligoté Dorée Presse Verticale 429

The Domaine Boris Champy 2021 Aligoté Dorée Presse Verticale 429 is a captivating expression of Burgundy’s often-overlooked Aligoté grape, showcasing both the variety's potential and the unique character imparted by meticulous biodynamic farming. This wine takes its name from a specialized pressing technique and is made from the rare Aligoté Dorée clone, known for its smaller berries and intense flavor concentration.

On the nose, it reveals an elegant bouquet of citrus zest, green apple, and white peach, intertwined with floral nuances of acacia and subtle hints of flinty minerality. The palate is vibrant and precise, with a crisp acidity that highlights the wine's freshness and energy. Layers of citrus, orchard fruit, and a whisper of almond create a well-rounded, textured profile. The vertical pressing adds finesse and a sense of purity to the wine’s structure, culminating in a refreshing, mineral-driven finish.

This Aligoté is a versatile food companion, pairing beautifully with seafood, light poultry dishes, or creamy cheeses. While delightful in its youth, its balance and complexity suggest it will develop further nuances with short to medium-term cellaring.

"Pressed in a vertical rather than a pneumatic press, the 2021 Aligoté Dorée Presse Verticale 429 is simultaneously more textural, layered and mineral than the regular bottling, and it will be worth a special effort to seek out. I hope Champy will continue to produce this cuvée.

Since his acquisition of Didier Montchovet's eponymous domaine in 2019, Boris Champy is fast establishing himself as the reference point for the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune, showing just what these cooler, later-ripening, higher-altitude sites are capable of. Long farming biodynamically, with holdings in the commune of Nantoux (one of the most promising sectors of the Hautes-Côtes, as evidenced by investments here from the likes of Domaine Leflaive and Vincent Dancer), Champy cultivates his soils mechanically, with a green harvest and picks by hand. In the winery, reds often see some whole bunch fermentation, followed by basket pressing and élevage in carefully chosen barrels. In 2021, some of the production was declassified to produce Crémant de Bourgogne, leaving the best, ripest fruit for the still cuvées." Robert Parker 89 Points