Aligoté Offers Burgundy Pedigree at a Discount

Aligoté should be on the tip of any wine lover’s tongue and atop restaurant wine lists. But, it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that many might not only be unfamiliar with it, but unsure of how to even pronounce it. (It’s ah-lee-goh-TAY.) 

To be clear, Aligoté’s pedigree is practically unparalleled. It was, after all, born in Burgundy, arguably the most lauded wine region in the world. Certainly, the priciest in the world. 

Burgundy’s most famous producer, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, commands the highest price per drop at auction, at $500,000 for a single bottle. In July 2024, Sotheby’s shattered eight world records when it sold multiple Burgundy bottles from wine and art collector Pierre Chen’s cellar. The sky-high sale prices often doubled previous records.

But none of those bottles were Aligoté, the region’s “other” grape.

Burgundy’s unsung star 

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are, without question, the reigning royalty in Burgundy. But there’s another grape native to the region that dates to the 17th century: Aligoté, the white grape variety created through crossing Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. 

While Aligoté has remained in the shadows of Pinot and Chardonnay for centuries, that’s starting to change, for a variety of reasons. 

“We do offer Aligoté on our menu,” says Cheron Cowan, beverage director at Tom Colicchio’s flagship restaurant, Craft New York. “But it’s still a hand sell because it’s still a fairly eclectic grape. I will say that on a recent trip to Burgundy there were several winemakers there who were getting really excited about it — Hubert Lignier in particular — and I was really impressed. I tried several with extended lees and oak aging that rivaled classic Burgundy Chardonnay.”

Cheap, but just as chic Burgundy banger

Aligoté may be on the cusp of coming into its own, thanks to rising interest among producers that’s slowly trickling down to top fine-dining establishments, retailers, and other regions. 

“Aligoté was once the unloved poor stepchild of Burgundy, but it is on the rise,” says David Parker, founder and CEO of rare wine purveyor Benchmark Wine Group. “Its high-acid nature, which was once off-putting to most palates, has softened with the longer ripening seasons and gained popularity as that style has become more appreciated.”

The bright style is more in vogue than ever. Aligoté is also benefiting from the historically high prices of Burgundy Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. 

“Price-wise, you can expect to spend 40–60% less on Aligoté than you would a village-level Chardonnay from the same producer in Burgundy,” says Cameron Cronin, beverage manager at Carbone Dallas and Carbone VINO in Dallas. “For me, it presents like a more elegant Chardonnay, with a few more floral tones and lighter finish. It’s a great way to experience some of the more historic producers in Burgundy, without it costing an arm and a leg.”

While winemakers and experts adore Aligoté, much of the public hasn’t yet gotten the memo. But Parker says that’s changing. 

“We’re seeing Aligoté start to rise in popularity, and while no Aligoté really qualifies as a true collectible yet, those produced by the most acclaimed Burgundy producers have that potential,” says Parker. 

Cronin admits that he keeps much of the Aligoté he acquires to himself. He says the grape has become cherished within the industry.

“Among wine professionals, we have always kept Aligoté as a ‘closely guarded secret,’ because many of the top Burgundian producers make a small amount, and we’re lucky to get three to six bottles of it from a single producer every vintage,” says Cronin. 

But he knows that the era of saving Aligoté all for himself is near an end. Cronin says that his sommeliers have started to share the wealth with guests. 

“Our team are big fans of these wines,” he says. “They provide a budget-friendly pick for guests who are looking for white Burgundy, but are priced out of the category.”

Plantings grow globally amid climate change

Winemakers across the world have tentatively embraced Aligoté’s potential to produce bright and ageworthy whites, especially amid climate change. 

In 2019, Mark Björnson, along with his wife, Pattie, planted one acre of Aligoté at Björnson Vineyard in Oregon’s Eola-Amity Hills. He says that they’d consider planting more and believes that it has a bright future in Oregon.

“We have had interest from a nursery come out and take cuttings, so clearly other people here see the commercial potential, too,” says Björnson. “I’ve been surprised in some ways to see how well it does in distribution across the country, particularly in the mid-Atlantic. In the tasting room, a lot of people tell us they love it as a white alternative to Chardonnay.”

Aligoté is becoming an ally against climate change and ever-tightening margins. Björnson says that the grape buds late, maintains acidity in warmer vintages and offers a large yield.

Karen Saul, co-owner and manager of Andante Vineyard in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, planted a little more than one acre in 2017. The original intention was to offer something that wasn’t quite as ubiquitous as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay had become in the region. 

“And as Burgundy’s third grape, it also made sense,” says Saul. “But as it turns out, our Aligoté actually sells better than our Chardonnay.”

The future for Aligoté

Samra Morris, winemaker at Alma Rosa Winery in California’s Sta. Rita Hills AVA, says the team planted 1.5 acres of Aligoté at its El Jabali Estate Vineyard. While the first vintage won’t be released until 2029, Morris is bullish on the grape’s future, both at their site and elsewhere. 

“While it’s often referenced as the all-but-forgotten white grape of Burgundy, we’ve seen a resurgence in recent years,” says Morris. “There are already a couple of producers growing or making Aligoté in the Sta. Rita Hills. It’s also finding a home in cooler climate regions. When made well, Aligoté is not only delicious, but can also be ageworthy.”

Aligoté has also popped up in New York’s Finger Lakes region. At Heart and Hands, Susan Higgins, who co-owns and makes the wine there with her husband, Tom, says they planted a half-acre in 2019, in a nod to heritage and exploration. 

“We saw it as a way to honor its Burgundian roots while expressing it through a uniquely Finger Lakes lens,” says Higgins. “It’s still the early days, but the energy and precision we’re seeing in the wines make us very excited about where this journey could lead. It’s still a niche variety in the U.S., but we see that as an opportunity. 

“In Burgundy, pedigree lends credibility, but ultimately what matters most is what the wine in the glass delivers, and Aligoté has consistently surprised people with its energy and texture.”

A sommelier favorite, Aligoté is a grape just on the cusp of collectible status, but still enough of an underdog for even some of the most rarefied expressions still only register in the double digits at retail. 

Though if rarefied is what you’re after, Parker has a few ideas. He points aspirational collectors toward Domaine Leroy, Coche-Dury, Domaine Ponsot, Domaine A. & P. de Villaine, and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey. 

Looking for a cheap(er) Burgundy banger? Look to Aligoté.