Chantereves Bourgogne Aligote "Bas des Ees" 2023

Notes:

Producer: Chanterêves was founded in 2010 by Tomoko Kuriyama and Guillaume Bott and is based in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Kuriyama studied winemaking at Geisenheim University in Germany and worked in the Rheingau, including as estate manager at Friedrich Altenkirch, while Bott worked at Domaine Étienne Sauzet before becoming winemaker at Domaine Simon Bize in Savigny-lès-Beaune. Chanterêves began as a small micro-négociant, purchasing grapes from growers and carrying out the vinification themselves, before acquiring estate vineyards beginning in 2020. Their wines are produced on a deliberately small scale, with an emphasis on organic farming, including biodynamic methods in a number of their own parcels. In the cellar, the approach centers on indigenous yeast fermentations, minimal sulfur, restrained extraction, and élevage designed to preserve the identity of individual vineyards. Aligoté receives particular attention at Chanterêves, with several high-elevation parcels bottled separately rather than blended into a single Bourgogne Aligoté.
Vineyard: Bas des Ees is a high-elevation Aligoté vineyard situated at approximately 470 meters, on the border adjacent to the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits. The altitude is an important part of the site’s identity, placing it considerably higher than many vineyards on the main Côte and providing cooler conditions that favor slow ripening and retention of natural acidity. The broader Hautes-Côtes landscape is shaped by limestone and marl, and Chanterêves farms Bas des Ees organically, though not certified, while incorporating biodynamic methods. The 2023 vintage was a generous and successful year in Burgundy, producing healthy yields and fruit with good ripeness, while elevated and cooler sites were particularly well positioned to maintain freshness and definition. For Aligoté, a variety naturally distinguished by its acidity, Bas des Ees’ altitude gives the 2023 a combination of ripe fruit, energy, and mineral tension. The finished wine shows a particularly vibrant expression of the variety, centered on citrus and fresh fruit with the firm acidity and mineral character expected from a high-altitude Burgundian site.
Winemaking: The 100% Aligoté fruit is crushed before undergoing a long, gentle pressing cycle of approximately six hours. Fermentation begins spontaneously with ambient yeasts using a pied de cuve, consistent with Chanterêves’ approach across its white wines. The wine is then matured for approximately 12 months in a combination of traditional 228-liter Burgundy barrels and larger 600-liter barrels. The larger-format vessels provide controlled oxygen exchange and textural development while limiting overt oak influence, keeping the emphasis on the fruit, acidity, and mineral character of the vineyard. Bottling is carried out without fining, with only occasional light filtration, and sulfur is added minimally before bottling when considered necessary. This restrained cellar approach gives the wine additional texture and complexity without obscuring the naturally fresh, precise character of Aligoté from this elevated site.
Technical Details: Bourgogne Aligoté AOC; Bas des Ees vineyard; 2023 vintage; 100% Aligoté; approximately 470 meters elevation; situated on the border adjacent to the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits; organic farming, not certified, with biodynamic methods; crushed before pressing; approximately six-hour press cycle; spontaneous fermentation with ambient yeasts using pied de cuve; aged approximately 12 months in 228-liter and 600-liter barrels; bottled without fining; occasional light filtration; minimal sulfur addition when necessary; approximately 12% ABV.
Food Pairing: Oysters, littleneck clams, mussels, crab, seared scallops, grilled shrimp, Dover sole, trout almondine, sushi, roast chicken, gougères, goat cheese, Comté, and young Gruyère. The wine’s bright acidity, citrus character, mineral tension, and restrained oak make it particularly well suited to shellfish and simply prepared fish, while its barrel élevage provides enough texture for poultry and moderately rich cheeses.