Alice & OlivierMasters of Aligoté
From Jura and Chablis to the Kimmeridgian hills of Courgis—founding their estate in 1989, pioneering organic viticulture in a region of industrial farming, and proving that Aligoté and Chardonnay from ancient limestone can achieve extraordinary purity.
From meeting in Chablis to creating a new paradigm—how two oenologists planted three hectares in 1989 and changed the region's trajectory.
Alice (from the Jura) and Olivier (from Chablis) met while working at a large Chablis estate where Olivier was in charge of the vines. Both oenologists trained in Dijon, they shared a vision radically different from the industrial farming dominant in Chablis during the 1980s. In 1989, they planted their first vines in three plots—Bel-Air, Clardy, and Rosette—on land from Olivier's uncle in the village of Courgis, 7 km southwest of Chablis town [^138^][^152^].
Their first proper harvest was in 1994 (keeping only 15 hectoliters), and they fully committed to the domaine that autumn, leasing additional vines in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux: 0.55 ha of Aligoté planted in 1902 and 0.4 ha of Sauvignon Blanc from 1950. In 1996, they expanded to Chitry, planting Aligoté and Chardonnay in a plot locally called "Champagne." For years, they worked their 4 hectares while tending vines for other winemakers to survive [^138^][^171^].
Organic certification came in 2005, though they had farmed naturally since the beginning. They were among the first in Chablis to abandon herbicides, synthetic treatments, and chemical fertilizers—now almost extinct in their vineyards. Their yields are consistently half those of conventional neighbors, even in difficult vintages. In 2016, they made their first foray into Premier Cru, purchasing a 0.92 ha parcel in Vau de Vey and leasing Mont de Milieu (0.8 ha) [^151^][^138^].
Olivier draws all the labels himself—he originally planned to become an artist but "suspected that path would lead to death by starvation," switching to wine while maintaining his artistic practice [^152^].
"The new wave of Chablis"—zero sulfur during vinification, spontaneous fermentation, and Kimmeridgian purity.
The de Moors' philosophy centers on letting the Kimmeridgian terroir speak. All grapes are hand-harvested since 2002 (using small boxes to prevent crushing), and since 2007, their gravity-fed cellar moves wine without pumping. They acquired a second-hand pneumatic press in 2008 for the gentlest possible extraction [^168^][^138^].
No sulfur dioxide is used during harvest or fermentation; any addition happens only at bottling, keeping total SO2 below 50mg/l (often much less). Fermentations are spontaneous and can last months or years due to cold autumn and winter temperatures. Malolactic fermentation proceeds naturally, and wines age on their lees without bâtonnage in a mix of vessels: 228L Burgundy barrels, 600L demi-muids, foudres, steel/concrete tanks, and amphorae [^152^][^138^].
They believe Aligoté vert and Aligoté doré are genetically identical—the difference lies in vine health and yield. Productive vines produce neutral "green" Aligoté; low-yielding, concentrated vines produce "golden" Aligoté of distinction. This attention to vine physiology has made them masters of the variety, alongside Domaine Ponsot and Sylvain Pataille [^138^].
Adapting to climate change, they are planting trees, testing pergola trellises for better shade and air circulation, using cover crops, and even employing chickens to manage vineyard grasses [^138^].
Until Bottling
Kimmeridgian Purity
The Kimmeridgian legacy—ancient seashell fossils, steep slopes, and old vines planted in 1902.
Old Vines
The domaine includes vines planted in 1902 (Aligoté in Saint-Bris), 1950 (Sauvignon Blanc), and 1930s/1980s (Mont de Milieu). These ancient roots penetrate deep into Kimmeridgian limestone, producing concentrated, complex fruit with naturally low yields [^136^][^151^].
Limestone
Soils are the classic clay-limestone marl of Chablis, formed millions of years ago in a warm, shallow sea. Rich in fossilized shellfish—oysters (*exogyra virgula*), sea urchins, bivalves, and ammonites—this terroir gives the wines their distinctive minerality and chalky texture [^138^][^136^].
Terror
Located 7 km southwest of Chablis town, Courgis sits at slightly higher elevation with a cooler climate. The de Moors have watched the landscape transform from forests and wastelands to intensive vineyards. Their estate cellar sits on the ground floor of Olivier's childhood home, beneath his grandparents' apartment [^152^][^138^].
From 1902 Aligoté to Premier Cru Chablis—wines of "ripe fruity, supple and surprisingly full-bodied" character.
Plantation 1902
From the 0.55 hectare Saint-Bris parcel planted in 1902—pre-phylloxera vines that have survived over a century. This rare Aligoté shows mirabelle plum, silky texture, and extraordinary length. Fermentation can take years (still fermenting at 2.8g/l residual sugar after many months in the 2020 vintage). A benchmark for the variety that rivals top Chardonnay [^136^][^148^].
Bourgogne Aligoté (Chitry)
From Chitry terroir—the village appellation adjacent to Chablis sharing the same Kimmeridgian limestone. Aged in a mix of old oak barrels and fiberglass tanks. This is the "everyday" Aligoté—clean, mineral, with lively acidity and aromas that "leap out of the glass." The wine Burgundians drink with lunch, proving Aligoté can be complex and satisfying [^136^][^137^].
L'Humeur du Temps
A four-plot assemblage (Côte de l'Etang, Les Envers de Côte Chétif, Les Goulots de Jouan) capturing "the mood of the times" or "the mood of the weather"—a double entendre reflecting vintage variation. From 1 hectare total, this is their most Chablis-characteristic wine: flinty, elegant, energetic, persistent, with that sweet-sour acidity that defines the house style [^136^][^138^].
Bel-Air et Clardy
A blend of two parcels planted in the mid-1990s totaling 1 hectare. Shallow clay-limestone marl over harder limestone with fossils—highly draining soils (especially in Clardy with its whiter clay). More structured than L'Humeur du Temps, with notes of butterscotch, roasted walnuts, smoke, and mandarin. Aged 1 year in demi-muids, then blended and finished in foudre [^136^][^165^].
Coteau de Rosette
From the first plot the de Moors bought nearly 30 years ago—steep slopes up to 40% incline with three distinct soil sections (eroded materials at top, pure marl mid-slope, dense clay at bottom). Usually requires two harvest passes (sometimes two weeks apart). Considered their best Chablis terroir—complex, structured, with incredible depth and long aging potential [^136^][^171^].
Vau de Vey
Purchased in 2017—0.92 hectares of 1983 vines on steep, southeast-facing slopes in a cool valley ("little valley" in local parlance). Converted from conventional farming to organic; fruit trees planted at borders for bee life. Aged one year in used Burgundy barrels without bâtonnage or racking. Bottled unfiltered with minimal sulfur. Intense tangerine, lanolin, blackcurrant leaf, sea spray—textured, mineral, profound [^151^][^149^].
Mont de Milieu
Leased since 2016—0.8 hectares with vines from the 1930s and 1980s, closer to the Grand Crus. Steep slopes where Olivier works with a horse (tractor access impossible). One-third élevage in amphora, the rest in barrels. Crystalline, ripe, jellied fruit—airy, fluid, mobile flavors. New labels feature tall trees (or extra-high-trained vines) [^151^][^138^].
Sans Bruit (Sauvignon Blanc)
From the 0.4 ha north-facing parcel planted in 1950 on clay-limestone marl over hard limestone. Formerly Saint-Bris AOC, but climate change creates fermentation difficulties and high residual sugar in hot years (appellation requires <4g/l). When over the limit, they "remain silent" about the origin—hence "Sans Bruit" (Silently/Noiselessly). Aromatic, textured, rare—only tiny allocations available [^136^][^138^].
The New Wave of Chablis
Alice and Olivier de Moor have spent over 30 years proving that Chablis can be both terroir-transparent and ripe—neither the industrial, sulfur-blocked wines of the 1980s nor the austere, underripe natural wines that sometimes followed. Their "new wave" offers ripe fruity, supple, and surprisingly full-bodied expressions that maintain the region's signature acidity and minerality [^138^].
No one produces more Aligoté cuvées than the de Moors, and their work has been instrumental in rehabilitating this variety alongside producers like Ponsot and Pataille. From the 1902 vines to the 1902 Aligoté, from gravity-fed cellars to hand-drawn labels, they embody the marriage of tradition and innovation. Their négociant project Le Vendangeur Masqué ("The Masked Harvester")—born from necessity after frost and hail losses—allows them to work with purchased organic grapes from Chablis, Mâcon, Alsace, and the Rhône, applying their philosophy beyond their own vineyards [^136^][^152^].
- Founded 1989 in Courgis (3 hectares from Olivier's uncle)
- Alice from Jura, Olivier from Chablis
- Both oenologists from Dijon
- Organic certified since 2005
- Zero sulfur during harvest/fermentation
- Total SO2 always below 50mg/l
- Aligoté specialists (most cuvées in Burgundy)
- 1902 Aligoté vines (pre-phylloxera)
- First vintage 1994 (15 hectoliters kept)
- Leased Saint-Bris vines 1994 (1902 Aligoté)
- Chitry expansion 1996
- Premier Cru entry 2016 (Vau de Vey, Mont de Milieu)
- Gravity cellar built 2007
- Pneumatic press acquired 2008
- Hand harvest in small boxes (since 2002)
- No bâtonnage (lees stirring)
- Le Vendangeur Masqué négociant project (2009)
- Olivier draws all labels (artist background)
- Tree planting and pergola trials (climate adaptation)
- Chickens in vineyard (grass management)