Bourgogne Aligote 'par Gouffier' Domaine Gouffier

A refreshing yet textured wine with vibrant citrus fruits and a mouth watering saline note combined with mouth watering richness

Producer Note

Gouffier owns five and a half hectares of vineyard in the villages of Fontaines and Mercurey in Côte Chalonnaise. Historically it was run by the Gouffier family for generations until Jerome Gouffier handed over the reins to his close friend Frédéric Gueugneau, formerly at La Chablisienne. Since 2011, Frédéric and oenologist Benoît Pagot have brought about a new style of winemaking. They follow an organic philosophy to create wines that are modern and approachable, but with all the style and panache of good Burgundy. They have created a collection of wines of outstanding originality, verve and spirit.

Vineyard

The vineyard is based in Fontaines, in the Côte Chalonnaise, where the vines are grown at between 200 and 300 metres above sea-level. The climate is typical for Burgundy: continental, with warm summers and cold winters. The soils are limestone-clay, which produce wines of great finesse and complexity. The vineyard has been sustainably farmed since 2011, with ploughing replacing weed-killers and copper and sulphur treatments used only when required. The vines are carefully managed between the spring and summer months to ensure optimal conditions for healthy, mature grapes at harvest time; with pruning, strict de-budding and leaf thinning being undertaken by hand to reduce the yields. The vineyard is currently in conversion to organic status. 

Winemaking

The Aligoté grapes were hand-harvested once they had achieved optimum maturity and were carefully selected. The grapes were very delicately transferred via a conveyor belt directly to the fermentation vessel in order to retain the integrity of the fruit. They were then slowly and very gently pressed to extract the juice. Fermentation took place with selected yeast in old French oak at 20°C. The wine was matured on the lees for 12 months in 228 and 450 litre barrels, with malolactic conversion taking place in the spring. Working in partnership with their cooper, since the 2013 vintage Gouffier has been experimenting with using oak from the state forests of Fontaine, just a few miles from the vines, endeavouring to stay true to the local terroir.

Tasting Note

A charmingly crisp and refreshing wine with vibrant citrus fruit complemented by a mouth watering saline note. Beautifully textured, with great purity of fruit and delicate oak spice through to a long, cleansing finish.

Serving Suggestion

Japanese cuisine or goat's cheese

Grape

Aligoté 100%