Wine Advisor
Sylvain Pataille, Bourgogne Aligote Clos du Roy 2021
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Notes of pear, green apple and Meyer lemon preface the 2021 Bourgogne Aligoté Clos du Roy, a medium to full-bodied ample and satiny wine that's one of the richer, broader Aligoté bottlings in Pataille's cellar, even if it's still underpinned by the variety's signature racy acids.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2021 Bourgogne Aligoté Clos du Roy has a flor-like aroma, touches of white chocolate and white tea. The palate is well balanced with fine delineation, dried apricot and wild peach, fanning out nicely towards the finish. Fine detail here.
About the Producer
The domaine consists of vines across Marsannay, with a large portion planted to Aligoté, to go along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Sylvain is a leading proponent of the potential of Aligoté to make world-class wines, making more than 5 different cuvées from different single sites. In the vines, he practices very low yields, ploughs by horse, and works biodynamically, earning him the reputation as one of the finest farmers in the Côte d’Or. For his vinifcations, he presses long and slow, uses only indigenous yeast, and adds very little sulfur only at bottling. Aging takes between 15-18 months but can be longer depending on the wine. If a certain vintage and certain vineyard requires 24 months, he will do so, allowing the wine to tell him what it needs as opposed to following any formula. Sylvain’s wines are extraordinary examples of what top farming, matched with one of the brightest oenological minds, can produce. They are wines of incredible balance, seamless textures, and clearly defined minerality that can only come from the one the greats of Burgundy.
