Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Claiborne & Churchill 2012 Pinot Blanc, Central Coast


Pinot Blanc, they call you a mutant. However, like the X-Men, you are a force for good in the world – and a source of exceptionally tasty summer wine.
Pinot Blanc seems to be a mutation of Pinot Gris, which itself is a mutation of Pinot Noir. Sadly, in many wine shops, you may draw a blank if you go in and ask for Pinot Blanc.
That’s too bad, because this Alsatian-style wine is wonderful. We enjoyed it with a shrimp barbecue on the patio during a sunny Fourth of July.
Claiborne & Churchill has carved out a niche as a producer of fine dry Alsatian-style white wines. It’s a small family-owned winery in San Luis Obispo that produces about 10,000 cases a year.
The C&C Pinot Blanc has refreshing acidity, with subdued flavors of pear and citrus. The body is light to medium. The wine is barrel fermented and so it takes on some additional depth from the mellow tannins.
This wine was so enjoyable that our friend John took the empty bottle to ensure that he was able to buy the same satisfying stuff. It’s recommended for ABC people, those who prefer Anything But Chardonnay. We bought it online for $25 and got what I consider to be a rewarding value.
Rating: 3.5 of 5  Value: 3 of 5

No comments: