The Marigny Direct Press Sur Lie Aligoté 2024

This Direct Press Aligoté is something the winemakers at The Marigny have been working towards for a while. Although the grape’s parentage is Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, they say it is more akin to leaner, more herbal styles of Chardonnay, or even some rounder styles of Chenin blanc. Think pistachio gelato, ocean breezes and romantic tension. No matter how you see it though, this wine is sure to be a crowd pleaser, containing a little something that everyone can love. 

Two picks, both direct to press as whole cluster fruit. Pressed to taste and separated into individual barrels (a mix of newer and older, neutral French oak barrels) and one stainless tank during the press cycle. Stainless tank moved to barrels post primary with native fermentation and élevage on full solids for six months before assemblage, with one month in stainless steel post assemblage for one month before bottling. Organically-farmed Aligoté (without certification).

The Marigny winemaker Andrew Reginald Young left behind a career as a New Orleans rock drummer in 2012 to make low-intervention wines from cooler climate vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley. He works with a lot of carbonic maceration to keep the wines light, all fermented with native yeasts and minimal intervention in the winery.