| Grape variety |
Auxerrois |
| Synonyms |
Auxerrois Blanc de Laquenexy, Pinot Auxerrois, Auxerrois Blanc |
| Grape colour |
White grape |
| Variety |
Autochthonous |
| Vigour |
Good |
| Areas of cultivation |
Auxerrois is grown fairly extensively in Alsace. Outside France, it is grown in Germany, Austria, Italy and Luxembourg and there are also a handful of plantings in North America and South Africa. Auxerrois is most at home in Alsace, particularly in the north, where the cooler climate helps this low-acid variety achieve good levels of freshness. |
| History |
Vineyards of the French Alsace-Lorraine region, the Auxerrois should not be confused with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay, which in turn are also called Auxerrois, probably because the ancient name of Alsace was Auxois. The DNA test showed that it is derived directly from the natural cross Pinot × Gouais Blanc and is, accordingly, brother of Chardonnay, Gamay, Aligoté and other smaller grape varieties. The Auxerrois today is little present in Switzerland, but can be compared to Haussard or Ausserres, widely cultivated in the 18th and 19th centuries in the cantons of Neuchâtel and Vaud. It produces a relatively neutral wine with a weak acidity. |
| Characteristics of the wine obtained from this grape variety |
Auxerrois can produce quality wine with plenty of citrus flavors, often with a rich, musky aroma profile. As it ages, it can take on honeyed flavors and will deepen in color. Weaker examples can be quite vegetal and flabby, out of balance and lacking in intensity. Auxerrois is an unforgiving grape in the winery – poor winemaking will result in wines that lack focus and concentration. The wine can be produced dry or off-dry, but Auxerrois does not typically achieve the richness or sweetness of Alsatian Pinot Gris. |
| Notes |
It is also called Auxerrois Blanc de Laquenexy, from the name of the location where the viticulture institute has studied it. |