Wittmann, Weißer Burgunder "S", 2008
Every spring I look forward to the asparagus season. Leaving aside the fantastic Silvaner grape, Pinot Blanc is one of my favourite wines to be enjoyed with asparagus. It also happens to be one of my favourite white wines, and so I used the last couple of months to reduce my stock of Weißburgunder, as the Germans call it. Wittmann's 2008 Pinot Blanc has been sitting in my wardrobe for two years now, waiting for a special moment.
When a fantastic looking turbot and two handfuls of lovely English asparagus found their way into my kitchen, that special moment had come. I had fairly high hopes for this wine, as Wittmann's "S-Class" have never let me down, some of them turning out to be truly stunning.
Freshly poured from the robust Burgundian bottle, the Weißer Burgunder fills the glass with lovely Pinot Blanc aromas - white pepper, apple, mineral with a hint of smoke and a cool, light earthiness, all enhanced with smells of woodlands, herbs and pinewood.
Encouraged I took my first sip and had a woohaa moment. The first few drops had barely touched my tongue, and already there was so much intensity and substance! Not only has it substance and complexity, the Wittmann also does not lack elegance. There is something "right to the point" to it, and I happily think back to the first few seconds. If you care about the technical details, there was: citrus tingle; mineral earthy; fresh apple acidity; nut and vegetable aromas and light, creamy vanilla - the latter especially in the finish that came in wave after wave, almost unending.
Some of the initial intensity on the tongue and in the finish was lost after a while (or perhaps I just got used to it), but even so Wittmann has yet again delivered on a marvellous wine, and a great example of Pinot Blanc.