Sylvie Esmonin Bourgogne Aligote 2022

Producer Profile

Rich, silky and flamboyant, the wines of Sylvie Esmonin are a reminder that there’s more to Burgundy than whole bunches, old oak and bright, lighter framed ethereal numbers. To be sure, Sylvie does employ bunches for some of her cuvees, up to 60% for the phenomenally rare Clos Saint-1er Cru, around half for the Vieilles Vignes and about a third for the village Gevrey. Ferments are not delayed, unusual in an area known for its cold soaks and punchdowns employed to break up the skin and bunches and ensure the ferments are short. The generosity of fruit is immense and mouth filling, soaking up oak and tannin with luxuriant, silken elegance.

Sylvie farms 10 hectares, more or less organically, though not certified. She has expanded into the Cote de Beaune, producing a Bourgogne Blanc from the northern side of Meursault which is indeed a fuller, richer expression, reminiscent of the Meursault’s of the 90’s and early 2000’s. A rare bird is her Volnay Santennots 1er Cru, with a high percentage of whole bunches,  showing how adept she is at crafting wines from totally different appellations, whilst remaining true to her style. For those in the know, her aligoté is a beautiful, charming wine of effortless drinking, and I suspect potential longevity.

My wife Louise sometimes comments that a wine is “luxurious. Tastes expensive”. Too few Burgundy’s quite frankly don’t taste expensive enough considering the asking prices. Sylvie Esmonin’s wines are wonderful wines to taste and drink, because they leave an impression of rich, pure unctuous fruit, palate-coating textures, energy and complexity. All the elements are harmonised by a long, flowing silken drive.