Wine Advisor
Boris Champy, Bourgogne Aligote Dore Selection Massale 2020
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 Bourgogne Aligoté Doré had been bottled on the day of my visit, so Champy took this just before. It is matured 70% in used barrels and 30% in stainless steel. It could only an Aligoté on the nose, with apple blossom and peach skin aromas. The palate is fresh and quite saline on the entry, beautifully balanced with a fresh, slightly saline finish. Simply, what Aligoté should be.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Cool pear aroma with discreet oak on the nose. Well structured and very elegant for this grape variety. Lovely, creamy texture through the long and very straight, mineral finish. Doré is a massale selection of this grape variety and this planting dates from 1987. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
About the Producer
Domaine Boris Champy was founded by Didier Montchovet in 1984, when he took out the lease for a tiny 0.5-hectare plot of vines in Nantoux. From a vigneron family in Nantoux, this young consultant winemaker and wine-tasting instructor, worked the vineyards using organic and biodynamic growing methods, listening to and respecting nature. They is the first wine domaine in Burgundy to have received Demeter biodynamic certification. Over the years, the domaine has expanded its surface area through the purchase of other small plots of vines, but it has retained its roots in Nantoux in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. In around 1990, two large plots covering 5 ha, Montagne de Cras and En Bignon, were planted with Lyre-trained vines. Today, the Domaine extends over around 12 ha with two large areas. The Hautes-Côtes de Beaune with the Montagne de Cras, Le Clou, and En Bignon plots. 3 plots quite close to each other: Pommard En Bœuf and two Beaune 1er Crus: Aux Coucherias and Les Vignes Franches. Wine Producer Born in 1974, Boris Champy is a native of the Champagne region. An oenologist by training, he started out working at the Dominus Estate in California’s Napa Valley for 10 years. He later became technical director for a well-known négociant in Beaune, and then estate manager for the famous Clos des Lambrays in Morey-Saint-Denis. He was also president of the Corton ODG and responsible for the creation of an environmental protection association. Finding himself without a successor, Didier Montchovet decided to sell his Domaine to Boris Champy, thereby perpetuating the philosophy it has pursued since 1984. White wines vinification As he comes from the Champagne region, Boris Champy pays particular attention to the pressing work. They used two types of presses for the white grapes: the modern pneumatic press and the historical gentle vertical press. In the context of global warming, they are working on their juice separation process. The juices from the end of the pressing are separated as they contain less acid. Rounder, fuller and softer, they are intended for wines for earlier drinking. The juices from the heart of the pressing, with more structure and acidity, are destined for a long maturation in barrel to craft wines with great cellar-ageing potential. Red wines vinification Careful sorting, a proportion of the grapes left whole depending on each wine, only moderate extraction, the importance of the vertical pressing to respect the pomace, skilful ageing in oak barrels. No filtration and fining only if necessary. Elevage Only a few new barrels but with oak of fine origin and crafted by the best coopers. Wines were aged in barrels, with a proportion of new barrels that was often low. The oxygen created by the ageing process refines the tannins. Oaks of fine origin create beautiful aromas that combine with those of the grape.
