Description
“No one but no one delivers more quality for the price than Goisot. The quality is flat out amazing, particularly given the modest appellations with which he works.” Allen Meadows, Burghound.com
“This is certainly one of the greatest Yonne estates…The estate is totally biodynamic and makes wines of remarkable purity and concentration … Simply stunning.” Bettane and Desseauve’s Guide to the Wines of France
As the quotes above make clear, this pioneering biodynamic Yonne domaine (the same department of Burgundy which includes Chablis) produces fabulous, terroir-rich Burgundies, and surely this region’s greatest values (even with the recent price rises forced on the Domaine by the crippling yields). For a Domaine that works in an area that most wine lovers have never heard of, Goisot has earned an unprecedented reputation in France. The late Anne-Claude Leflaive once described Goisot as a “one of the super stars of French winemaking”.
How has such a small, quiet, out-of-the-way grower broken into the Burgundy elite? In short, they farm some of northern Burgundy’s purest limestone vineyards, possess a large proportion of old vines, and cut no corners in their vineyard work and élevage. In fact, the Goisot’s biodynamic work in the vineyard is at a standard that knows few equals (anywhere) and certainly places the Domaine at the very top of the greater Chablis area. Once again there is zero mystery as to where the wine quality derives: quality terroir and zero compromises = top notch, authentic wines.
The key to great Aligoté is old vines and quality sites, both of which this domaine has in spades. The lion’s share of Goisot’s Aligoté is drawn from old massale selection vines, aged between 40 and 90 years and planted on the high, cooler slopes of Saint-Bris. The soil, known as Barrémien, is made up of ancient, dense clay, which is rich in large blue-grey fossilised oyster shells. It’s a soil that is difficult to work and yields “small grapes, like pinot noir”. These older vines are today joined by younger material from the lieux-dits of Croix Rougeot, Côte de Coutance and Côte de la Canne.
Goisot’s biodynamic management and commitment to harvesting ripe fruit results in a far more textured and pulpy wine than you might normally associate with this variety. As always, this wine was fermented with native yeasts and raised entirely in tank. From a fine, “ripe and steely” vintage at this address, expect limpid orchard fruits and citrus notes counterbalanced by hints of brine and lees, and a fleck of green herbs. That said, it’s more mineral than fruity in its flavours and there’s a spine of juicy, chalky acidity that runs the length of the palate, finishing with sappy length.
This wine typifies what Burghound’s Allen Meadows quote above is talking about!
RRP $49 Last bottles $42.99
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