100% Pinot Blanc

For most of history, Pinot Blanc has always played 2nd and 3rd fiddle to its other “little” siblings like Noir and Gris (or Grigio) but not for good reason.  Some of the most amazing white wines I have had in my life came from this understated grape.  Just recently I was in Alsace and Western Germany and I tasted many sublime bottlings from this noble grape.  A few years back the best wines I had during a 2-week stay in New Zealand were Pinot Blanc’s from Hawkes Bay (yep – not Sauvignon Blanc!).  This bottling came from Scheid Vineyard Company’s Mesa del Rio Vineyard near cool Monterey Bay.  The cooling effects lead this to be a fresher, more austere Pinot Blanc than most you will try in our Country.  This wine has beautiful balance and, like its history, is vastly understated and confident.