2023 Domaine Les Petits Lieux, Bourgogne Aligoté, White Burgundy, France.
Who knew that Aligoté would be an ultra exciting and sought after white wine, well not me in my early years of being a wine professional I can tell you, it was a grape of little distinction and was almost never mentioned or thought of as a true Burgundy, but boy has that changed in recent years, will offerings having a cult like following and with some excellent complex versions like this brand new Les Petits Lieux from Guillaume Rouget and winemaker Laure Guilloteau. This new label with a storied background has created a buzz in Burgundy and beyond, with this Aligoté being the first out of the gates and it is a beautifully crafted effort with a medium bodied and vinous palate of orchard fruits, mineral charm, from the classic limestone soils, and rounded glycerin filled smoothness. Whole cluster pressed to barrel for fermentation and extended aging on the lees, the Les Petits Lieux Aligoté perfectly captures the grapes acidity and vitality, while adding depth and complexity, not so commonly found, with lime, kiwi, white peach and tart apple fruits, along with almond, bread dough, wet stone, subtle herb, clove and lemon oil accents. The Domaine Les Petits Lieux will showcase a set of reds released later, from the 2023 vintage as well and they will include wines from various terroirs, with Marsannay and Vosne-Romanée, being the most notable, as well as Beaune and Santenay, all of which I am looking forward to trying.
The Les Petits Lieux is seemingly an unpretentious name, meaning “The Small Places” but there is some big pedigree here, with Guillaume Rouget, grand nephew of the legendary Henri Jayer, who passed in 2006, and his wife Laure Guilloteau have now established a new Domaine in the family’s old buildings creating Les Petits Lieux, and though this new estate has no own vineyards yet, there’s a on of potential here. It is well known that, Domaine Henri Jayer is like the holy grail for Burgundy enthusiasts, especially his iconic Cros Parantoux, and he made some regions greatest wines until he gradually resigned from winemaking in the late 1990s, producing the last vintage in 2001, before turning much of his holding and vineyards to Emmanuel Rouget, who today makes the wines together with his son Guillaume Rouget. Guillaume Rouget, along with his wife and oenologist Laure Guilloteau, debuted their new wines with this 2023 vintage. The Jayer and Rouget labels featured almost exclusively Pinot Noir, but Les Petits Lieux includes white wines such as Aligoté, seen here, and Saint-Romain Blanc (Chardonnay) that will play a bigger role here. Stylistically, it is said, the Rouget’s are focused on their own signature at Les Petits Lieux. Their red wines will significantly differ from those of Guillaume’s dad at Domaine Rouget due to use of less new oak and shorter elevage. In contrast, I understand through reports, they plan to extend the barrel aging for the white wines, going for more rounded textures, as I see in this Aligoté. As I’ve said here, Aligoté is on a roll right now, and I highly recommend discovering this “Other” white Burgundy grape sooner versus later!
($40 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive