Wine of the Week 2/1/21

Domaine Joseph Cattin Pinot Blanc 2020
Regularly $13.99/On Sale for $10.96

In the late 17th century, François Cattin, born in Porrentruy, Switzerland, came to work as a builder in the small Alsatian village of Voegtlinshoffen. In 1720, he decided to dabble in winemaking, and thus began a family business that has continued for 12 generations and has become Alsace’s largest family-owned and family-run winery.

At the end of the 19th century, as phylloxera began to rage through France, Joseph Cattin, having completed his studies, became a pioneer in the science of grafting, and is widely credited with saving some of Alsace's best vineyards.  The winery still bears his name.  The current Cattins own 65 hectares of vines planted in the foothills of the Vosges mountains with all traditional Alsatian varietals.  Most of the estate vineyards are over 60 years old.

Pinot Blanc is a mutation of Pinot Noir with a history stretching back to medieval times.  It is, as the name suggests, the version of Pinot with the least pigmentation in the skins.  It can appear spontaneously in the vineyard, even on the same bunch of grapes as its noir and gris relatives.  It seems to have originated in Burgundy and small amounts are still allowed in Bourgogne Blancs.  It also spawned in Champagne, where it still appears in  exquisite and rare Champagnes.  Shop-fave Charles Dufour and the impossible to find Cedric Bouchard each have fantastic examples. 

But Alsace is where Pinot Blanc shines, making creamy but sprightly wines that go with a huge range of foods.  This is a great deal on one of Europe’s most underrated grapes.  Throw a few in the back of the fridge for just about any occasion!

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