Auxerrois
Also known as Pinot Auxerrois, Auxerrois Blanc
Lorraine / Alsace, France
A soft, rounded white, another child of Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc, grown in Alsace, Luxembourg and Baden and often sold as Pinot Blanc.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Niche
Climate
Cool climate
Ripening
Early season
Wine styles
Still, Sparkling
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
France
Alsace
Rounded, gently spiced whites, and the main part of many Pinot Blanc and Crémant d'Alsace blends.
Germany
Baden
Grown as Auxerrois for full, dry whites next to Pinot Blanc.
Background
Origin & History
Auxerrois belongs to the Pinot and Gouais Blanc family: DNA analysis published in 1999 showed it to be another natural cross of the same two parents as Chardonnay, Gamay, Aligoté and Melon de Bourgogne. It is a different grape from the Pinot Blanc mutation of Pinot Noir, but the two look and taste alike, and in Alsace they are often blended and labelled Pinot Blanc.
In Luxembourg's Moselle it is one of the most important varieties. In Cahors, Malbec is also called Auxerrois, an unrelated use of the name.
Lineage
Family tree
Ancestry above, descendants below. Click a related grape to explore its own lineage.