The Jean-Luc Mader Pinot Blanc 2023 is a dry, easygoing Alsace white built on orchard fruit and a soft, creamy middle. Pinot Blanc from Alsace sits somewhere between the crunch of a good pinot grigio and the roundness of an unoaked chardonnay, and this 2023 lands comfortably in the middle.

Pear skin, white peach and a squeeze of lemon lead the aromatics, with a faint almond-blossom lift behind them. The palate carries ripe apple and nashi, a light dusting of white pepper and a gentle nuttiness that fills out the mid-palate without weighing it down.

Acidity runs clean and steady rather than sharp, giving the Mader Pinot Blanc a smooth, almost silky texture through the middle before it tightens on the finish. Dry, medium-bodied and moderate in length, it finishes with a chalky note that keeps the fruit honest and invites another glass.

Pour it with roast chicken, pork schnitzel, a leek and gruyère tart or seared scallops. It also handles trickier plates well — pad thai, a bowl of pho, or a cheese board leaning towards young, washed-rind styles.

Drink the 2023 now through to about 2028. It is at its most charming in the first few years while the orchard fruit is fresh, though the acid line will hold it steady for a while yet. Serve well chilled, around 8 to 10 degrees.