2021 Bourgogne Aligoté Doré Sélection Massale, Domaine Boris Champy

In January 2021 we were thrilled to introduce, for the first time in the UK, the wines of the highly talented Boris Champy, who has recently taken over running a top estate in the Hautes Côtes de Beaune. These vineyards were originally assembled and brought to prominence by Didier Montchovet, who was a pioneer of organic and bio-dynamic viticulture, dating back to 1984. Didier had reached retirement age, so handed over to Boris, an oenologist by training, with an impressive wine-making record. He previously worked in Libourne for the Moueix family, in Napa at Dominus estate, then for a Beaune shipper, then as manager for Domaine du Clos des Lambrays, in Morey-Saint-Denis.

His vineyards today are situated in the hills westwards of Pommard, with others in the adjoining commune of Bouze-lès-Beaune. Due to the higher altitude of the vines, grapes typically come to ripeness a week or so later here than on the Côte de Beaune. This used to be a disadvantage, but with the hotter summers Burgundy is now regularly experiencing, it allows precious acidity to be retained, while simultaneously natural sugars and grape-skins can be brought to complete ripeness.