Grape Variety: Pinot Blanc

Colour: White

Pinot Bianco, as Jancis Robinson explains, is part of the “vast family of vaguely Burgundian vines whose parents have recently been revealed by DNA analysis to be the noble, dark-skinned Pinot Noir and a rather obscure, ordinary white grape widely planted in Burgundy in mediaeval times, Gouais Blanc. Pinot Blanc’s siblings include Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gamay, Aligoté, Sacy, Auxerrois and the Muscadet grape, Melon de Bourgogne. Of all these grapes, Auxerrois is the most similar to Pinot Blanc - the main difference being Auxerrois’ tendency to ripen even more easily than Pinot Blanc.”

In Alsace, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy and Hungary, the wine produced from this grape is a full-bodied white. In Alsace, where it is used for both still white wines and is the most common variety used for sparkling wine, Crémant d’Alsace. Somewhat confusingly, the designation “Pinot blanc” for Alsace AOC wine does not necessarily mean that the wine is varietally pure Pinot blanc. (This is in difference to Pinot gris, which is a “true” varietal designation in Alsace.) Rather, the designation means that it is a white wine made from Pinot varieties. Under Alsace appellation rules, the varieties Pinot blanc, Auxerrois blanc, Pinot gris and Pinot noir (vinified white, without skin contact) may all be used, but a blend of Pinot blanc and Auxerrois is the most common. The most full-bodied “Pinot blanc” wines from Alsace, with a spicy and smokey character and moderate acidity, are likely dominated by Auxerrois grapes.

Historically, Pinot blanc was used both in Burgundy and Champagne. It is still allowed in the Champagne blend and small amounts of Pinot blanc may in principle be blended into some Burgundy wines, but very small amounts are cultivated in either region. In the Champagne region, Pinot blanc is often called Blanc vrai.

In Collio and Isonzo in Friuli near the border with Slovenia (where it can also produce excellent wines) it seems particularly at home. Here the grape’s natural body and breadth of flavour combines well with the lively raciness that results from the climate and super-clean winemaking methods here and the wines are much in demand from Italians seeking interesting whites, both oaked and unoaked.

The Pinot Blanc from Scherer is dry, fresh and grapey and has aromas redolent of apples and melons. This would go well with trout or chicken. The version from Weingut Niklas, in keeping with the nature of wines from this region, is austere with apricot stone fruit and spiky acidity.