Pinot Blanc
Not
that the wine it makes ever knocks you out with dramatic
flavor. Its charms are subtlety and understatement. It flows
rather than rushes at you. More Debussy than Wagner. But
this is exactly what I’m looking for lately in a
multi-purpose white wine with fish. In fact, one of the
first changes I initiated after recently taking the reins of
the wine program at Legal Sea Foods was to introduce a
section of Pinot Blancs on the list, increasing the
selections from 1 to 7, and choosing one to pour throughout
the restaurant group. This was not a pre-conceived plan. I
tasted a lot of Pinot Blanc blind and as it turned out was
quite impressed with what winemakers from as far afield as
Alsace, Oregon and Trentino Alto Adige are doing. Among the
greatest virtues of the category: most of the selections are
bargains.
Why seven
though? There is a lot of diversity in how Pinot Blancs are
produced. The common thread is a soft texture, mild though
discernible acidity, and a hint of spice in the finish. But
the weight, or body, of the wines varies considerably, and
the flavors display quite a wide range as well. So we have
light and delicately fruity wines as well as richer, more
substantial ones. For a long time Pinot Blanc, which,
although no longer extensively grown there, originates in
Burgundy and was a mutation of the deeper-colored Pinot
Gris, had been mistaken for Chardonnay. The resemblances are
more than superficial, the most notable being lack of
sharply etched aromas or piercing acid levels. Pinot Blanc
is generally a bit less powerful on the palate than
Chardonnay, is less adaptable to new oak, and tends to leave
a cleaner, more seamless flavor profile from attack to
finish. But there’s a great deal of overlap and one can
easily be confused for another when tasting blind. So Pinot
Blanc can be marketed as a stylistically similar “Chardonnay
alternative”.
The following
recommendations span the major regions of the globe where
Pinot Blanc now excels with one exception: Austria, where
the grape is called Weissburgunder. I couldn’t find one.
While these were the best, most of the wines I tasted were
at least acceptable. The one caveat: Oregon, which is
producing some delicious examples, is also making some Pinot
Blanc that is higher in residual sugar than I think is
appropriate and perhaps a bit overly extracted. Not that
there’s anything wrong with sweetness, but as a consumer you
don’t want to be surprised. This is a trend I’ve noted with
Oregon Pinot Gris as well, where it is even less welcome
because of that grape’s lower acid profile. The selections
below are all dry and all delicious. They are listed in
ascending order of ranking, regardless of price, with the
last wine rating the highest in my tasting. (For the sake of
comparison, prices quoted are average retail.)
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Hugel Bruno Valley Tiefenbrunner WillaKenzie Domaines |
