GRAMMA | Aligoté | 2018
aligoté

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Today we are going to review a very special wine, as it is a single-varietal aligote wine – Aligoté 2018 by Gramma. Infamously known as the ‘other white Burgundy’ grape, aligote has had a rough life, most of it in the shadows of its famous counterpart – the mighty chardonnay, and that’s a real shame, because if you’re able to get your hands on a bottle of aligote, you’ll discover an excellent, refreshing wine that’s made with the same care as chardonnay is made. Being less intense and softer than chardonnay, aligote is a real gem, as it usually makes very refreshing dry wines with floral and herbal notes and an almost lemony character. Outside of its homeland in Bourgogne, aligote is also grown in small quantities in Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia. This particular wine comes from Romania, more precisely from the Moldova region, Iasi wine-growing area, where it has been planted in the 60’s, being imported from Algeria. That said and without further ado, let’s move on straight to our tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
color: straw yellow color
clarity: clear pastel-yellow hues

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & fruity
fruit profile: sweet fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits
__sweet fruits: pear | quince | white apple | asian pear
__citrus fruits: lemon | pomelo
__stone fruits: apricot | peach | pluot
fruit character: overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | herbal | oak | sweet
__floral: honeysuckle | acacia blossom
__herbal: hay | lemongrass
__oak: hints of vanilla
__sweet: honey | raisins | pear candy | lemon candy
primary layer: fruit

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: medium+
alcohol: medium
tannin: low
__grip: ripe
balance: good
__dominant: none
body: supple & round | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: sweet fruits & citrus fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: floral & sweet
finish: medium+
aftertaste: crisp & appealing

//Scoring
GRAMMA | Aligoté | 2018
variety: aligoté
country: Romania | Moldova
region: Iasi | Visan
rating: 92.6

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now
verdict: fine | highly recommended
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This is definitely a fine wine of Romania and with a total of 92.6 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a very fine aligoté wine: crisp, supple and round – a wine that is right there, at the summit of its prime form, therefore drink it now or in the next 12 months. It feels ripe, smooth and oily, with a nuanced fruity-citrusy profile and a slightly seedy finale. On the palate the wine delivers mouth-watering acidity and well integrated alcoholic warmth on the mouthfeel, thus it tastes voluptuous and plush. On the nose the wine starts with sweet and stone fruits in the foreground, followed by a citrusy layer right before those nuanced and very appealing herbaceous-honeyed notes in the background. All in all, this is a very well structured wine that feels rich, ripe and harmonious – a wine that will do nicely alongside any seafood or creamy pasta recipes. But better don’t mark our words – just get one and enjoy it yourself. Cheers!

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.