Julien Cruchandeau champions lesser-known appellations. And he has taken the Aligote grape as a badge of honor. So it's no coincidence that Bouzeron was his starting point.  Appellation Bouzeron (as opposed to every other Burgundy appellation, bar one), chose Aligote over Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, as the appellation's grape.

It was a radical move, spearheaded by Aubert De Villaine, owner of Domaine Romanée-Conti, who has a domain in Bouzeron, and was meant to spotlight Aligote. In the early 2000s, Julien worked for a domain in Bouzeron and of course crossed paths with Aubert De Villaine whose crusade to promote Aligote was gaining ground. 

The De Villaine Bouzeron vineyards are planted in what are known as 'massale selection' vines. As opposed to 'clones', massale selection vines are produced with cuttings from old vines. Massale selection vineyards have significant varietal variation, which adds depth and dimension to the resulting wine. So when Julien bought his first vineyards in Bouzeron, he wanted to plant the best quality vines he could get his hands on.   So he turned to Aubert De Villaine, who offered Julien vines from his massale selection. 

To this day, Julien's Bouzeron is called 'Massale', and is one of the shining stars of the appellation. If you have not tried Cruchandeau Bouzeron 'Massale' you are out of step with what's happening in Burgundy today 

Read about the 2022 Vintage

Read our Blog about Bouzeron

6 Bottles of WHITE Julien Cruchandeau Bouzeron 'Massale' 2022
Deep, rich and dense with concentrated confit apple acidity, honey and cinnamon spicy. Great body, opulent and fresh. Classic minerality gives it length and purity. And the complexity...you'd think it's a chablis premier cru!