Had I tasted this wine blind, I would have pegged it as an extremely polished pinot noir from Oregon, and I wouldn’t have been far wrong, at least stylistically. Geographically….well, that’s a different story because this fruit-filled gem hails from 7,000 miles further east, Alsace.

When people think of Alsatian wines, which they don’t do nearly often enough, they think of whites — gewürztraminer, pinot gris and rieslings. In doing so they miss out on one of the best kept secrets of the wine world, Alsatian pinot noirs.

This week’s Five Star Nick’s Wine of the Week, the Lucien Albrecht Amplus Pinot Noir 2005 ($52) is a glowing example of just what fine, if under-appreciated, wines they are.

Its wonder, as with all great pinot noirs, is the way it melds the seductive power of ripe fruits like strawberries and red cherries with a racy, laser fine acidity and a generous helping of robust heartiness, all in one glass. Many non-Burgundian pinots manage the first of these tricks but miss the rest of the package. Not the Amplus – it’s all balance, depth and nuanced, viniferous harmony. And with fall coming on it is the perfect wine to think about drinking with a roast chicken or a leg of lamb.

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