Domaine de Villaine Bouzeron (Aligoté) / 2020 / 750mL

The Domaine de Villaine Bouzeron 2020 is a dry white from the Côte Chalonnaise in Burgundy, made entirely from Aligoté, the variety that gives this small appellation its name. Expect a white of real cut and clarity, with more texture and depth than Aligoté's workaday reputation suggests.

Lemon pith, white peach and green apple lead the aromatics, with a chalky, almost saline edge underneath and a faint suggestion of crushed herbs. There is a quiet nuttiness that emerges as the wine warms in the glass.

The palate is lean in the best sense — taut acidity running the length of the wine, carrying stone fruit and citrus over a stony, mineral core. The 2020 season across Burgundy was warm and early, and it shows here as ripe fruit weight sitting on that firm acid line rather than any heaviness. The finish is dry, long and faintly bitter in the way good Aligoté should be.

Oysters and other raw shellfish are the obvious call, but it handles more than that: grilled whiting, chicken with tarragon, goat's cheese, or a plate of jambon persillé if you want to stay regional. Serve it cool rather than cold so the texture has room to show.

Drinking well now and through to around 2030, with the structure to hold its shape.