Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur "Les Grandes Terres" Bourgogne Aligoté, Burgundy, France 2023

FROM ROSENTHAL:

THE WINE: François Bitouzet produces a beautifully textured Aligoté from a parcel that was planted above Meursault in 1975, and the age of the vines provides low yields of around 50 hl/ha, crucial for this workhorse grape. An exceptionally layered and complex rendering of this variety, Bitouzet's Aligote offers striking floral notes, broad seashell-like minerality, and enough length and density to reward a bit of cellaring. The wine is fermented and settled in tank then rests in used 228-liter barrels on the fine lees from his production of Meursault Premier Cru. This kind of quality from the Aligoté grape is rare and we encourage clients to jump all over it—In fact, we love it so much that we secured an exclusive to the US and bring in the entire production, just under 150 cases.

THE PRODUCER: A committed classicist, Vincent Bitouzet has provided us with over thirty-years worth of structured, demanding, age-worthy, satisfying wines, both red and white, from the heart of the Cote de Beaune. Based in Volnay and blessed with extensive holdings in Meursault as well, this domaine is a tried and true standard bearer for all that is fundamentally good and sound in Burgundy: conscientious and sensitive work in the vineyards, respect above all for the specific character of each lieu-dit, patience and attention to detail in the cellar, and a commitment to producing wines of depth and, of critical importance, longevity. To truly understand great white and red burgundy, one must wait for these grand expressions of terroir to mature to reveal their splendor and spectacular nuance.