Aligoté

Aligoté — a French white wine grape variety belonging to the Western European eco-geographical group. This variety is the result of crossing Pinot Sauvignon and Gouais Blanc, and is widely used for producing high-quality varietal juices, table wines, sparkling, and blended wine materials. The leaves of Aligoté are whole, dark green with curled edges, and the tendrils, veins, and shoots are dark burgundy in color. Bunches are medium-sized, dense, cylindrical or cylindrical-conical in shape, often with wings. Berries are round, yellow-green with dark brown spots, 12–15 mm in size, with juicy and tender flesh possessing a pleasant flavor and apple-citrus aromas. Aligoté is a medium-late maturing variety with a ripening period of about 145 days. Fruitfulness is high — 80–85% of fruiting canes. Bunch weight varies from 90 to 140 grams. Sugar content in juice reaches 17–22%, and acidity is 5.6–10%, imparting freshness and harmony to the wine. The variety exhibits good resistance to gray rot and mildew, as well as to oidium, but its winter hardiness is moderate, requiring frost protection. Berry transportability is high, facilitating harvest and transportation. Aligoté prefers less fertile soils, on which other grape varieties perform poorly, and is often cultivated on plains or hilltops, especially in Burgundy, where it ranks second in prestige after Chardonnay. Wines made from Aligoté are typically light-bodied with a delicate flavor, and although pure wines from this variety are not considered outstanding, they are widely used in blends and for sparkling wine production. Canes are pruned to 3–5 buds, promoting optimal growth and fruiting.