Introduction: Domaine Céline & Frédéric Gueguen is a family estate founded in 2013, rooted in the northern Burgundy village of Préhy on the heights of the Chablis appellation. Both from winemaking families, Céline and Frédéric farm 36 hectares across some of northern Burgundy's most varied terroirs — from Chablis and Petit Chablis to Saint-Bris, Irancy, and beyond. La Vigne de Marie-Louise is one of the domaine's most personal wines: a single-parcel Aligoté planted in 1965 by Céline's grandparents, Émile Petit and Marie-Louise Pinon, whose name it carries. It stands as one of the most compelling arguments for Aligoté's place among Burgundy's serious white wines.

Terroir: The vineyard is located in the village of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, situated on north-northwest-facing slopes with a Portlandian limestone terroir — the uppermost layer of the Jurassic period — that delivers the kind of cool, mineral-driven precision Aligoté thrives on. At 7,800 vines per hectare and nearly 60-year-old massal selection vines, the parcel produces concentrated, site-expressive fruit at yields of 50 hl/ha. The north-facing exposure tempers ripeness and preserves the grape's naturally high acidity, making this a wine defined by freshness and mineral tension rather than weight.

Appearance: Pale gold with bright silvery highlights and excellent clarity — light and delicate in the glass, signaling the wine's cool-climate origins.

Nose: Fresh and precise, with green apple taking the lead alongside lemon zest, white peach, white flowers, and a characteristic stony, chalky minerality. There is genuine depth beneath the apparent simplicity — the nose opens gradually, revealing complexity without ever straying from the variety's clean, bright register.

Palate: Dry and lively, with grapefruit, lemon verbena, and vineyard peach driving a palate that is larger and more substantial than the wine's lightness might suggest. The texture is crisp and energetic, carried by Aligoté's signature high acidity, with an attractive bitter finish — the hallmark of the variety at its best — that keeps everything focused and mouthwatering.

Finish: Clean, mineral, and refreshing, with a lingering citrus and stony quality and the pleasantly firm bitterness that defines classic Aligoté. The finish is medium in length but precise and completely dry.

Food Pairings:
🥩 Meat: Light charcuterie, quenelles de brochet with beurre blanc, or chicken with herbed cream sauce
🥦 Vegetarian: Fish tourte, tian d'aubergines, steamed vegetables with lemon butter, or leek and goat cheese tart
🧀 Charcuterie Board: Fresh chèvre, young Comté, oysters on the half shell, and light rillettes

Overall Impression: The 2023 La Vigne de Marie-Louise is a textbook expression of what old-vine Aligoté on Portlandian limestone can achieve: pure, precise, and mineral, with genuine depth beneath an approachable, fruit-forward demeanor. It is a wine of honesty and character, built for the table and best enjoyed in its youth and freshness. Serve at 10–12°C; drink within 2 to 5 years of vintage.

Alcohol by Volume (ABV %): 12%
Farming Practices: Raisonnée (reasoned/sustainable); certified High Environmental Value (Haute Valeur Environnementale Level 3) since 2018; certified organic as of 2023; massal selection vines; Guyot simple training; 7,800 vines per hectare
Producer Name: Domaine Céline & Frédéric Gueguen
Old World / New World: Old World
Country of Origin: France
Region: Bourgogne Aligoté AOC, Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, Yonne, Burgundy
Grape Varietals: Aligoté 100%
Vintage: 2023
Wine Style: Dry White — Light-bodied, unoaked, and mineral-driven, with a crisp citrus and stone fruit profile shaped by old-vine Portlandian limestone terroir. More structured and site-expressive than a typical regional Aligoté; built for the table and immediate enjoyment, with enough depth to reward 2–5 years of cellaring.
Winemaking Techniques: Gentle, extended pressing; cold settling for approximately 20 hours; fermentation at 16–18°C with indigenous yeasts; malolactic fermentation on fine lees from November to mid-April; light fining and earth filtration before estate bottling; aged exclusively in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and fruit
Pack Size: 750ml
Container Style: Glass bottle
Closure Style: Cork