2022 Maison Jean-Pierre Maldant, Bourgogne Aligoté, White Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France.
I recently discovered the Domaine Jean-Pierre Maldant wines, and they are a fabulous set of offerings, especially the whites, with their outstanding Corton-Charlemagne being the star, but I also loved their Saint-Romain, and this exceptional Aligoté. The 2022 Maison Jean-Pierre Maldant Bourgogne Aligoté has a bright straw and greenish gold hue in the glass and is subtle in aromatics with a lively citrus focus, but is surprisingly concentrated, complex and compelling, making it one of my favorite versions of this grape in recent memory, with true White Burgundy charm, class and poise. The medium bodied palate reveals lemony citrus, key lime, white peach, green apple and kiwi fruits, along with some lees hazelnut, clove spice, delicate jasmine, verbena and stony mineral essence. This wine is from vines planted back in 1955 and on prime chalky soils, with the ripe vintage and small yields adding the extra dimension here.
Pierre-François Maldant’s family domaine, based in Ladoix-Serrigny, at the foot of the hill of Corton, in the north of the Côte de Beaune, and has bee have been making wine in Burgundy for five generations, since 1895. In 1998, Jean-Pierre Maldant decided to give up his job working for the Hospices de Beaune and devote himself entirely to his own Domaine, which brought the label into the modern era, and now his son, Pierre-François has become a rising star in the region, and has succeeded him at the head of the winery, where he has been making the wines since 2010. The domaine’s collection of prime parcels of vines is very impressive, with mostly whites and some reds, they include Corton plots, Corton-Charlemagne, Saint-Romain, Aloxe-Corton and others. Aligoté is really becoming the it grape in Burgundy, especially as prices rise for the classics here, with climate change also hitting Burgundy, it has thrived and is making far superior wines than it ever did in the past, and this one is absolutely delicious.
($40 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive