2005 Domaine Ehrhart Pinot Auxerrois, Alsace, France

Pronounced : oaks sur ra
Here’s the perfect pairing to Chef Jay Murray’s Butternut Squash Soup. It has the acid to cut through the body, yet has the body and minerality to support the crab.

Located in the village of Wettolsheim, this small domaine is owned and run by Philippe and Corinne Ehrhart. In the family since 1725, this 21-hectare vineyard produces certified organic wines, a tradition started by Eugène Ehrhart two generations ago. This commitment to promoting and maintaining a diverse eco-system in the vineyards has been continued by François Ehrhart, and now Philippe. The Pinot-Auxerrois grape is considered the finest clone of Pinot Blanc because it is naturally low yielding and smaller size berries which increase the skin to juice ratio. Their vineyard, located at the mouth of the Valley of St. Gregory, is at the top of the slope and bordered by woods. The cool air descending out of the valley combined with the steep, east-facing exposition provides the perfect growing environment for Auxerrois. Philippe presses the fruit immediately after picking to extract the maximum aromatics and retain the bright fruit qualities. Fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. This wine offers up intense scents of apple and peach blossoms, and then in the mouth is round and slightly off-dry, with juicy fresh red apple fruit. Bright and delicious with a long lingering finish, this is a terrific Alsace wine value. —Robert Kacher