Origins
and regional production
In Alsace,
Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia,
the wine produced from this grape is a full-bodied white.
In 2000, there were 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres) of Pinot
blanc in France,[1] with
most of the plantations found in Alsace, where it is used
for both still white wines and is the most common variety
used for sparkling wine, Cremant 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[2], 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.[1] 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 Germany,
where it is known as Weißer Burgunder or Weißburgunder, there
were 3,491 hectares (8,630 acres) of Pinot blanc in 2006.[3]
The most powerful versions are usually made in Baden and Palatinate.
In the United States it is mainly produced in California.
In the United States, many of the vines called Pinot blanc
are actually a different variety, Melon de Bourgogne/Muscadet,
that resembles Chardonnay when
on the vine. This mistake was discovered around the mid 1980s
by a French oenologist who was examining rootstock while visiting
University of California, Davis, and now Pinot blanc purchased
from a nursery will be the genuine article. The grape is also
grown in Austria and Hungary as well as in Burgundy, France.[4]
Pinot
blanc has also been confused with Chardonnay, and wineries
often vinify it in a similar style, using barrel fermentation,
new oak and malolactic fermentation. It can also be treated
more lightly and made into a crisper wine that still has some
ability to age.
Wine
characteristics
In Alsace,
Germany, Italy and Hungary, the wine produced from this grape
is a full-bodied dry white wine while in Germany and Austria
they can be either dry or sweet.[4]
One of the components of the wine Vin Santo can be Pinot blanc.[4]
In France
the grape is often blended with Klevner, sometimes referred
to by locals as "true Pinot," and Auxerrois grapes, in order
to give it a more alsacian flavor.[5]
Bottles
labeled Pinot Blanc offer fruity aromas, often of apple, citrus
fruit, and floral characteristics. Bottles that are varietally
pure, although more difficult to find, provide stronger floral
characteristics, stone fruits and a headier minerality. Robert
Parker suggests Boxler's Reserve Pinot Blanc as one such "true
Pinot" wine. Regardless of their exact composition, most wines
under the label 'Pinot Blanc' are rather high in acidity and
are vinified in tank, though more prestigious examples are
fermented in large, 100% used oak barrels. Pinot blanc wines
are usually made for immediate consumption and seldom meant
for cellaring.
Names
in other regions
Pinot
blanc's name varies by region. In Austria it may be bottled
as Weissburgunder or Klevner (also occasionally named so in
Alsace). Hungary calls it Feher Burgundi. Spain and Italy
refer to it as Pinot bianco.
See
Also:
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References
