great Pinot Blanc?

[Peter_Kleban]

Last night we opened:

Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2007

P: Simple, but lemony, clear, reasonable length, nice acidity. Drinks very well. Fantastic QPR (got it for $6!). Good+

We had it with Mexican food, worked well. Would be a great picnic wine as well.

[Harry_Gruber]

@Peter Kleban

Last night we opened:

Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2007

P: Simple, but lemony, clear, reasonable length, nice acidity. Drinks very well. Fantastic QPR (got it for $6!). Good+

We had it with Mexican food, worked well. Would be a great picnic wine as well.

The world needs more $6 Pinot Blanc from Alsace!

[Stuart_BeauneHead_Niemtzow]

@Stuart BeauneHead Niemtzow

@Nigel Groundwater

@Doug Schulman

I have never been much of a fan of Pinot Blanc. The Gouges Perriere 1er Cru seems interesting, but I’m reading that it’s made from a white mutation of Pinot Noir that isn’t the same as the Pinot Blanc that we generally know elsewhere. Is that so? From those who have had it, is it still worth a look?

Yes the Gouges 1er cru ‘La Perriere’ Blanc is from a white mutation of Pinot Noir discovered by a Gouges in their vineyard sometime in the 30/40s [depending on whose account is read]. The grape is known as Pinot Gouges and the Gouges let other producers like Ponsot and Chevillon have it.
Robert Chevillon has also made a small quantity of a Nuits St Georges Blanc from Pinot Gouges but today their website refers to Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc although the latter might simply be considered interchangeable with Pinot ‘Gouges’ and called Pinot Blanc to avoid any possible confusion with the Gouges wines.

Not sure of the real, current situation chez Chevillon, but…they always explained there that their white NSG villages was from “white pinot noir” grapes obtained from Gouges…

Just got an email from Bertrand Chevillon. They make a bourgogne that is chardonnay, and a white Nuits St. Georges villages that is “pinot gouges”…a white pinot noir mutation. (And, despite the color, I could often think it might be a red wine.)

[T_Melloni]

I recall a delicious Pinot Bianco from a trip to Venezia some years back . . . ah yes, I can taste it now from my memory bank, as I sit at a table at Ai Gondolieri, late September, . . . after a stroll across the Fondamenta Zorzi in the Dorsoduro section of the city, now looking for a place to eat . . . There. Ai Gondolieri. Seems like an acceptable place. Nice mahogany bar. Menu looks good. Let’s go in. Seated. White linen tablecloth. Good stemware. We order.
Manola, a statuesque brunette with pure, white marble skin, and a smile of warmth, pours a 2006 Russiz Superiore Pinot Bianco into the glass. For a minute I am distracted by her hand, long, tender fingers marked by the deep red color of her fingernails, polish the color of a fresh spill of amarone on a white linen tablecloth. She gently lifts the bottle, coaxing the drop at the rim of the bottle into the glass, rather than down the outside neck, smiles, and disappears. As I return to the wine, my senses are filled with the offering of fresh flowers, green apple, ripe peaches, straw and the cold stone of a rocky terrain on a windswept hillside in late Autumn. The wine, paired with a smoked proscuitto, and a soup of potato foam and porcini mushrooms, is a match for which poets write sonnets. But alas, this day, I have neither time nor energy to pour out a sonnet. So I am left with this note, reminiscent of a Coelho tasting note, and the risk that months or years, perhaps days, from now, I will be embarrassed by the contents of this reply post.

So “great Pinot Blanc” you ask? and I answer, yes.

[Maxence_WERCK]

@Nigel Groundwater

@Doug Schulman

I have never been much of a fan of Pinot Blanc. The Gouges Perriere 1er Cru seems interesting, but I’m reading that it’s made from a white mutation of Pinot Noir that isn’t the same as the Pinot Blanc that we generally know elsewhere. Is that so? From those who have had it, is it still worth a look?

Yes the Gouges 1er cru ‘La Perriere’ Blanc is from a white mutation of Pinot Noir discovered by a Gouges in their vineyard sometime in the 30/40s [depending on whose account is read]. The grape is known as Pinot Gouges and the Gouges let other producers like Ponsot and Chevillon have it. However since all Pinots essentially have the same DNA, the terroir and winemaking are surely greater factors than any perceptible difference in between Pinot Gouges and Pinot Blanc.

Ponsot apparently used it for some years in a blend with Chardonnay and Aligote to make his 1er cru Morey St. Denis Clos des Monts Luisants although it was ultimately removed from the site in the early 90s and the Chardonnay in 2004 leaving the wine as 100% Aligote - AFAIK the only such 1er cru Burgundy made exclusively from that grape.
Robert Chevillon has also made a small quantity of a Nuits St Georges Blanc from Pinot Gouges but today their website refers to Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc although the latter might simply be considered interchangeable with Pinot ‘Gouges’ and called Pinot Blanc to avoid any possible confusion with the Gouges wines.

Damn you all !

As you picked my interest, you made me want to buy some Henri Gouges 1er Cru La Perrière Blanc !

To go back to the main topic, I am mostly familiar with Alsatian Pinot Blanc.
I recommend trying Domaine Ostartag’s Pinot Blanc Barriques (especially the 2010). It is basically an oaked Pinot Blanc with “only” 5% new oak. It turns out to be a great dry and mineral wine. It also has some peach and hazelnut aroma.
According to the winemaker, it is made from Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (which is allowed under the Alsace AOC regulations).
You can find it in France at around 10€ a bottle. I sincerely suggest you should try this wine, if you ever were to find it.

[Peter_Kleban]

Perhaps some of you already know this, but I just noticed onWikipedia that the designation “Pinot Blanc” under the Alsace AOC is allowed to contain other grapes:

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 probably dominated by Auxerrois grapes.

[Marlene_L_Rossman]

The Cavallotto 2010 Langhe Bianco (Piedmont) is made from Pinot Noir—or Pinot Nero—and with no skin contact at all, the must ferments for 58 days and then stays in tank for nine months. It’s quite hard to find, as there are only 450 cases made, but it is marvelous.

[Roberto_Rogness]

Cascina Ballarin does that type of Lange Bianco too…

[Peter_Kleban]

@Maxence WERCK

Damn you all !

As you picked my interest, you made me want to buy some Henri Gouges 1er Cru La Perrière Blanc !

To go back to the main topic, I am mostly familiar with Alsatian Pinot Blanc.
I recommend trying Domaine Ostartag’s Pinot Blanc Barriques (especially the 2010). It is basically an oaked Pinot Blanc with “only” 5% new oak. It turns out to be a great dry and mineral wine. It also has some peach and hazelnut aroma.
According to the winemaker, it is made from Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (which is allowed under the Alsace AOC regulations).
You can find it in France at around 10€ a bottle. I sincerely suggest you should try this wine, if you ever were to find it.

Welcome to WineBerserkers, Maxence! I see that you are already deriving full enjoyment from our blog!

[Maxence_WERCK]

@Peter Kleban

Welcome to WineBerserkers, Maxence! I see that you are already deriving full enjoyment from our blog!

Indeed, Peter. Indeed.

Thanks for the welcome, by the way. People on this board are tremendously awesome !

[Oliver_McCrum]

@Marlene Rossman

The Cavallotto 2010 Langhe Bianco (Piedmont) is made from Pinot Noir—or Pinot Nero—and with no skin contact at all, the must ferments for 58 days and then stays in tank for nine months. It’s quite hard to find, as there are only 450 cases made, but it is marvelous.

Sounds like the base wine for a classic method sparkling wine.

[Jeremy_Holmes]

I quite like the Pinot Bianco from Babo in Trentino.

[DougS]

@Roberto Rogness

Alto Adige! Numerous great producers but really special ones include Cantina Terlano, Elena Walch and Laimburg.

That makes a lot of sense. I love many of the whites of Alto Adige, so I’ll be sure to check out the ones you mentioned.

[DougS]

@Marlene Rossman

The Cavallotto 2010 Langhe Bianco (Piedmont) is made from Pinot Noir—or Pinot Nero—and with no skin contact at all, the must ferments for 58 days and then stays in tank for nine months. It’s quite hard to find, as there are only 450 cases made, but it is marvelous.

I had no idea that wine was so limited in production. Surprisingly, it’s distributed here in Massachusetts, and I’ve had it. I wasn’t impressed. Maybe I should try a different vintage (forget which one I had).

[DougS]

@Maxence WERCK

@Nigel Groundwater

@Doug Schulman

I have never been much of a fan of Pinot Blanc. The Gouges Perriere 1er Cru seems interesting, but I’m reading that it’s made from a white mutation of Pinot Noir that isn’t the same as the Pinot Blanc that we generally know elsewhere. Is that so? From those who have had it, is it still worth a look?

Yes the Gouges 1er cru ‘La Perriere’ Blanc is from a white mutation of Pinot Noir discovered by a Gouges in their vineyard sometime in the 30/40s [depending on whose account is read]. The grape is known as Pinot Gouges and the Gouges let other producers like Ponsot and Chevillon have it. However since all Pinots essentially have the same DNA, the terroir and winemaking are surely greater factors than any perceptible difference in between Pinot Gouges and Pinot Blanc.

Ponsot apparently used it for some years in a blend with Chardonnay and Aligote to make his 1er cru Morey St. Denis Clos des Monts Luisants although it was ultimately removed from the site in the early 90s and the Chardonnay in 2004 leaving the wine as 100% Aligote - AFAIK the only such 1er cru Burgundy made exclusively from that grape.
Robert Chevillon has also made a small quantity of a Nuits St Georges Blanc from Pinot Gouges but today their website refers to Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc although the latter might simply be considered interchangeable with Pinot ‘Gouges’ and called Pinot Blanc to avoid any possible confusion with the Gouges wines.

Damn you all !

As you picked my interest, you made me want to buy some Henri Gouges 1er Cru La Perrière Blanc !

To go back to the main topic, I am mostly familiar with Alsatian Pinot Blanc.
I recommend trying Domaine Ostartag’s Pinot Blanc Barriques (especially the 2010). It is basically an oaked Pinot Blanc with “only” 5% new oak. It turns out to be a great dry and mineral wine. It also has some peach and hazelnut aroma.
According to the winemaker, it is made from Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois (which is allowed under the Alsace AOC regulations).
You can find it in France at around 10€ a bottle. I sincerely suggest you should try this wine, if you ever were to find it.

Ha, I am more interested in trying the Ponsot 1er cru that’s 100% Aligote, so much so that I have ordered a couple of bottles of 2010. This board definitely isn’t good for the bank account.

Thanks for the Ostertag Barriques recommendation. I see that it’s available in the US at very reasonable prices.

[DougS]

I appreciate all of the recommendations. I had no idea Pinot Blanc was so well respected by so many people. shows what I know…

[G_Bienstock]

@Roberto Rogness

The line on Chalone used to be “Line up all three and you think the Pinot Blanc is the Chardonnay but the Chenin will be the best wine…”

In a double blind tasting I thought the PB was a Chard! I enjoyed it never the less.

[Sarah_M]

Schloss Saarstein from Germany. Very good and under $20. It is ripe without being flabby and has tons of that Saar minerality.

[DougS]

I should maybe point out – I haven’t tried most of the ones recommended, but I have tried quite a few from several different countries and been unimpressed. I’m not looking for “good” Pinot Blanc; I’m looking for the GREAT stuff. I’m not saying I know for sure that some of the less expensive stuff that’s been recommended isn’t in the quality range of this Messmer GG, but I do seriously doubt it. I think this wine was on par with some very expensive white Burgundies. Anyway, carry on.

[Roberto_Rogness]

The top bottling from Cantina Terlano will blow your mind. Sometimes they age it on the lees under argon gas in stainless for ten years. Rocks and complexity.