Dopff au Moulin Alsace Pinot Blanc 2015

Dopff au Moulin has fashioned an exuberant Pinot Blanc in their 2015 vintage, a wine that exudes charm, flavor, and a clean, creamy texture that makes it both easy to drink and completely satisfying. Aromas of pear, apple, and freshly baked bread with a touch of spice delight the nose, while those same charming fruit flavors enjoin to a gentle minerality to grace the mouth and satisfy the palate. Although easy to drink and enjoy, Dopff au Moulin’s 2015 Pinot Blanc offers more than just a good quaff. However, you may find the bottle empty in short order, as we did. We suggest giving this Pinot Blanc a moderate chill (40° F), although many may find it even more appealing at slightly warmer temperatures.

In the 2015 Dopff au Moulin Pinot Blanc one finds plenty to like with and without food. Although a wonderful aperitif, the wine’s crisp flavors and creamy texture lend themselves to accompanying a variety of cuisines and dishes, even foods that are typically difficult to pair with wine. Choucroute Garnie (ham, pork ribs, and sausage cooked in sauerkraut and served with spicy mustards), Quiche Lorraine, leek tarts, country pâtés, pork roasts and other Alsatian specialties make wonderful accompaniments to Pinot Blanc. Equally rewarding are fish and chips and lighter, heart-healthy seafood selections such as baked or grilled cod, flounder, grouper and haddock. Seafood salads, mussels, scallops, and fish chowders provide first-rate accompaniments, too. Dopff au Moulin’s 2015 Pinot Blanc also pairs nicely with grilled vegetables such as asparagus and Brussels sprouts that are often difficult to pair with wine. Sushi, spicy stir fries in a garlic sauce, and fresh spring rolls provide more rewarding partners to this wine. Bon Appétit!

The Dopff family has been practicing the art of creating exceptional Alsace wine since 1574. From father to son, the Dopffs have dedicated themselves with fervor and enthusiasm to winemaking or what they refer to as “the divine alchemy born from the subtle union of native soil and vine.” First and foremost, the Dopffs are wine growers, who uphold the rigorous ethics of their profession, which means that only natural wines from the best grapes are produced using traditional methods under the Dopff au Moulin name. Located in the charming walled medieval town of Riquewihr, Dopff au Moulin is the quintessential Alsace producer.

Dopff au Moulin fashions all of Alsace’s traditional wines from creamy, dry Pinot Blanc and Crémant d’Alsace to Grands Crus Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer Vendanges Tardives (Late Harvest), in addition to barrel-aged Pinot Noir.

Alsace enjoys the reputation as the most picturesque wine region in all France. It is an enchanted land of beautifully restored half-timbered houses, flower bedecked balconies and window boxes, and of course vineyards. Bounded by the Vosges Mountains to the west, which block out the dreary maritime weather that plagues so much of the rest of northern France, and the Rhine River and Germany to the east, Alsace’s culture and geography are unique among wine regions. On account of its favored position and corresponding climate, Alsace lays claim as the sunniest province in northern France. This extra sunshine makes Alsace an ideal spot for the cultivation of the vine and the production of premium wines.

In Alsace, white wine reigns supreme. This is a matter of local preference and tradition, in spite of the province’s production of some very noteworthy Pinot Noir wines and the contemporary clamor for red wine. Pinot Blanc is the staple of Alsace, where it makes a fresh, flavorful wine of considerable merit. Alsace also crafts some of the world’s most compelling white wines from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris – the vast majority of which are made dry rather than sweet. The relative dryness of most Alsatian wines may come as a surprise to those for whom German sounding names and tall thin green bottles are synonymous with sweetness. However, Alsatian wines are unique unto themselves and rarely do they resemble their German counterparts in style, flavor, or level of residual sugar. Robert Parker Jr. has called the wines of Alsace “some of the greatest white wines produced on the planet,” and some of the most pleasurable and hedonistic, too, we are pleased to add.