By Raymond Chan
Can the Pinot
Blanc variety be the new white hope? It
seems to have plenty going for it. The
stonefruit flavours and moderate weight and textures provide versatility, from
aperitif drinking to accompanying a wide rage of foods. Less opulent than Pinot Gris, with a more
straight forward and direct nature, it shares the quality potential of its
genetic stablemates of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir to produce excellent wines of
florality as long as the cropping is kept low.
With only 17 hectares planted in New Zealand, from the Wairarapa
south, it certainly is a minor variety.
Yet it is highly accepted overseas, where it has shed its ‘workhorse’
image to that of much greater respectability. With 1,200 ha in Alsace, it accounts for 6% of the
plantings. In Germany,
in the Baden and southern Pfalz regions mainly, it is growing; there are 3,500
ha of the variety in Germany. And it figures significantly in Austria, Hungary
and Italy. This tasting looked at New Zealand and
international examples to investigate the commonality of character, if any, and
the quality and enjoyment level of the wines.
Here are my notes on the wines served blind:
Flight One: New Zealand Pinot Blanc
From N.Z.
Winegrowers figures, the 17 hectares planted in this country are distributed
0.6 ha in the Wellington region, 6.0 ha in Marlborough, 1.2 ha in Nelson, 4.1 ha in Waipara, 2.8 ha
in Canterbury and 2.2 ha in Central
Otago. First wine up was
the Kerner Estate Marlborough Pinot
Blanc 2007 (17.0+/20), at 13.0% alc, from 12 y.o. vines, light straw yellow
in colour, with a fresh and full yellow stonefruit nose showing some nutty
notes from SO2. Dry to taste, this was crisp and clean, with
gentle, ‘accurate’ Pinot Blanc stonefruit flavours and good racy acidity. Again some SO2 showing.
This will keep well. This wine
was made by Mike Weersing. Mike’s own
wine, the Pyramid Valley ‘Kerner Estate’
Marlborough Pinot Blanc 2007 (18.0-/20), at 13.9% alc, 3.4 g/l rs, wild yeast
fermented and aged 13 months in seasoned oak, was light golden coloured, with a
very full, solid and dense nose of stonefruits, nuts, lees and obvious oak in a
complex amalgam of aromas. On palate, this
possessed real richness and a sweetness of fruit on palate. However, the oak became more prominent with
air time. This was equal most preferred
of the flight by the group of tasters.
Next was the Escarpment Vineyard
Martinborough Pinot Blanc 2009 (18.0+/20), at 13.8% alc, 5 g/l rs from Te Muna Road fruit. Brlliant pale straw colour, this had an
elegant bouquet, still fresh and firm from youth, showing white stonefruits and
a savoury pithy note. Dry, crisp and
minerally on palate, this was youthfully presented with good body and fresh
acidity in good balance. Still to show
its best. Equally first preferred by the
tasters was the Greenhough ‘Hope
Vineyard’ Nelson Pinot Blanc 2008 (18.5/20), at 14.0% alc and 2.9 g/l rs,
fruit from 18 y.o. vines, native yeast fermented and aged 7 months in seasoned
oak. Bright straw yellow with lemon
hues, this has an elegant nose showing a little development with its nutty,
yellow stonefruit aromas allied with complexing barrel notes. Striking a balance between richness,
succulence and crisp cleanliness, this had depth and a firm line, but now
beginning to soften. A wine of interest
approaching the ‘Chardonnay model’. The Mt Edward Central Otago Pinot Blanc 2009
(18.0+/20) at 13.0% alc and 11.0 g/l rs, fruit from the ‘L’Attitude’ vineyard
in Lowburn, was brilliant pale straw-green in colour, and displayed beautiful
florals, white stonefruits with a hint of exotic tropicals on the bouquet. Off dry, this had a softness and delicacy on
palate, subtle florals with minerals, enhanced by the gentle sweetness. An attractive wine. Last wine in the flight was the least
preferred by the group of tasters. The Clayridge Marlborough Pinot Blanc 2008
(17.0-/20), at 13.5% alc with 4.5 g/l rs, fruit from Kerner Estate, barrel
fermented with native yeasts. Very pale
straw with green hues, this had a powerful and intense nose with complex
herbal, nutty and mineral aromas, along with some ‘European-styled’
reduction. Dry, tight and crisp on
palate, this had body, weight and good texture, with good freshness carrying
through to the long finish. Sulphides
were intruding, but this may settle and harmonise considerably with bottle age.
It was felt
this was a very varied group of wines, showing little cohesion or resemblance
to enable a Pinot Blanc commonality to be recognised. Though there was one line of thought that
residual sugar would impede proper varietal expression, the sweeter wine showed
well, suggesting that an upfront aperitif style with a little residual sugar
would work well. The wines showing
greatest interest had considerable winemaker input, but great care must be
taken to not overdo this. Certainly wild
yeast fermentation in old oak and lees work are positives. All of the wines possessed some weight and
texture from the phenolics, a positive attribute for food pairing.
Flight Two: International Pinot Blanc
It was good
to assemble a range of comparison examples from overseas. Had tradition and years of experience
provided a more uniform and positive expression of the variety? It should be noted that the Alsace wines are allowed to be blends with
Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris and Clevner.
First in this flight was the most preferred of the wines by the group of
tasters. The Schoffit Alsace Pinot Blanc Auxerrois ‘Vieilles Vignes’ 2007
(18.5+/20), at 13.5%, from vines 40-60 y.o.
Light Golden straw in colour, this was rich and deep on bouquet with
yellow stonefruits, apricot nuances and lees notes. Off dry, this was full and rich on palate
with stonefruit, peach and apricot kernel characters. Soft, open and lush, this was a wine of
weight and soft textures. A little nutty
sulphide complexity added interest. This
spoke of Pinot Blanc and Alsace. Least preferred was the Franz Haas Alto Adige Pinot Bianco
2008 (15.0-/20), at 13.5% alc, very pale straw green in colour, this had a
pronounced and lifted amyl acetate banana-esters nose. Dry to taste, the banana-like esters
dominated the palate, hiding any fruit expression. The wine was light in vinosity, and the
acidity somewhat pronounced. This may
change with some bottle age. Next was
the second preferred wine of the flight.
The Hiedler Kamptal Pinot Blanc
‘Spiegel’ 2007 (18.0+/20) at 13.5% alc, came from 14 y.o. vines from the
Spiegel vineyard south of Langenlois.
Straw yellow colour with golden hues, this had a fine and intense
nosewith excellent stonefruit and tropical fruit n