Joseph Cattin Pinot Blanc 2013
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2021-
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In the late 17th century, François Cattin, born in Porrentruy, Switzerland, came to settle in this small Alsatian village of Voegtlinshoffen located 10 kilometers south of Colmar. In 1720, François Cattin decided to become a winemaker in addition to his job as a builder. The next 11 generations continued his legacy and this how the family business started!
Around 1850, Antoine Cattin decided to focus exclusively on the profession of winemaker. He marked the beginning of specialization that was carried on by by all his descendants. One of his son, Joseph took over the family-owned Estate. At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera plague started to seriously damage the Alsatian vineyard. Joseph Cattin, having studied successfully, dedicated his time fighting against this plague. He became one of the pioneers of the Alsatian viticulture by beeing rewarded with the diploma of Vignoble modèle. His brother, Théodore, aimed for gastronomy by establishing the restaurant La Cigogne in Paris. This place, renowned for its famous Alsatian gastronomy, is well frequented with the Parisian upper class as well as many foreign guests. This place became then an excellent shop front to expose Alsatian wines from his brother Joseph. Joseph Cattin as a brand was born!
After the death of Joseph, his son, Antoine, took over the company surrounded by 7 hectares of vines. Renowned winemaker for the quality his fine wines, Antoine truly cared for preserving the body and the uniqueness that create the originality of Alsatian wines.
In 1978, Jacques and Jean-Marie, grandsons of Joseph Cattin, took over the family-owned Estate; Jacques, as the manager and Jean- Marie running the vineyard operations. Jacques began at first to modernize the Cattin Winery; a new dynamic was created. In 25 years, means of production have completely been transformed and the vineyard has been spread over 60 hectares.
In 2007, Jacques Junior, joined the company after having studied engineering in agronomy and winemaking. In collaboration with his father, Jacques Cattin Senior, Jacques junior took charge of the wine-making and the financial department. His wife, Anaïs, graduated from a prestigious business school and with strong experiences toward international commerce, joined the company in 2012. She is currently responsible for international sales department.
Approachable, aromatic and pleasantly plush on the palate, Pinot Blanc is a white grape variety most associated with the Alsace region of France. Although its heritage is Burgundian, today it is rarely found there and instead thrives throughout central Europe, namely Germany and Austria, where it is known as Weissburgunder and Alto Adige where it is called Pinot Bianco. Interestingly, Pinot Blanc was born out of a mutation of the pink-skinned Pinot Gris. Somm Secret—Chardonnay fans looking to try something new would benefit from giving Pinot Blanc a try.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.