Sentio King Valley 2023 Aligoté

From another boutique winery in a region blessed with an elegant sufficiency of top-notch boutique wineries, here's a snappy cracker of a dry white.

Though Sentio is Beechworth based this Aligoté is grown in nearby King Valley.

Aligoté?

Never heard of it?

For those ridgy-didge Aussies unused to French pronunciation (it's "Ah-Lee-Goat-Eh" by the way), after a bottle or two it will roll off the tongue, eh.

Considered the second tier Burgundian white variety after Chardonnay, Aligoté is widely consumed in Dijon as an apéritif, the Kir: 1 part crème de Cassis, 9 parts chilled Aligoté.

Until fairly recently it went cleanskin into flagons to fuel countless cheap lunches and dinners.

In Sentio's capable hands this crisp, lithe, bouncy wine strikes high notes.

Yellow flowers, pear, refreshing acidity and a longish finish cause second looks of appreciation.

We drank this with a makrut infused Thai style very rare beef salad with crisp fried onion rings. A gobsmackingly good match.

It would pair equally well with oysters and a splash of mignonette.

Fried calamari and chips would marry too.

Indeed, anything fried would match this wine: tempura, spicy batter or Korean style.

A piece of thin schnitzel-esque meat (pork, veal, chicken) sautéed and served with a creamy mushroom sauce works well.

Speaking of mushrooms, make a risotto and drink this.

Sentio has conjured an absolutely lovely wine from this under-appreciated grape.

Aren't we all lucky to have it?