Bourgogne Aligoté Cuvée Aquaviva 2021 – Gouffier

The Bourgogne Aligoté Cuvée Aquaviva Gouffier grapes were harvested once they had achieved optimum maturity and were carefully sorted in the cellar. The Bourgogne Aligoté Cuvée Aquaviva Gouffier grapes were very delicately transferred via a conveyor belt directly to a stainless steel tank in order to retain the integrity of the fruit. Whole-bunch fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks on the skins to impart the delicate orange colour to the wine. The wine was aged in old, 228 litre French oak barrels, with regular bâtonnage imparting texture and complexity. Working in partnership with their cooper based in Cognac, since the 2013 vintage Gouffier has been experimenting with using oak from the state forests of Fontaine, just a few miles from the vines, endeavouring to stay true to the local terroir.

The vineyard is situated in the heart of the AOC Bourgogne Aligoté in the Côte Chalonnaise. The climate is continental, with warm summers and cold winters. The vineyard has been cultivated sustainably since 2011. The double Guyot trained vines are carefully managed between the spring and summer months to ensure optimal conditions for healthy, mature grapes at harvest time; with strict debudding, leaf thinning and ploughing of the soil. The vines are grown in marly-chalk soils from the Jurassic period.

Gouffier owns five and a half hectares of vineyard in the villages of Fontaines and Mercurey in Côte Chalonnaise. Historically it was run by the Gouffier family for generations until Jerome Gouffier handed over the reins to his close friend Frédéric Gueugneau, formerly at La Chablisienne. Since 2011, Frédéric and oenologist Benoît Pagot has brought about a new style of winemaking. They follow an organic philosophy to create wines that are modern and approachable, but with all the style and panache of good Burgundy. They have created a collection of wines of outstanding originality, verve and spirit.