This is a sound pinot gris from Hugel in Alsace. There is not much here in terms of aroma, some pear notes perhaps. The palate is dry and has subtle acidity hidden under its fruit, which adds freshness. A pinot gris paradigm that is ready to drink now. Rating: Good. Website: http://www.hugel.com. Reviewed: June 2020.Continue readingHugel Classic Pinot Gris Alsace 2016
Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc 2018 Wine ReviewContinue readingDomaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Blanc 2018
This is a delicious grand cru riesling from Domaines Schlumberger in Alsace. Towards gold in colour, its aroma reminds of steel and lemon zest. The palate is firm with a rich body, racy acidity and good length on the finish. You can approach it now, but this wine has years of cellaring ahead of it.…Continue readingDomaines Schlumberger Riesling Alsace Grand Cru Saering 2014
The first of three pinot gris posts, each of them representing different styles. This Alsation pinot gris has a quite distinctive aroma of candy, pears, pear spirits and florals. The palate is dry with fresh acidity and medium length. Overall, a pleasant enough, current drinking rendition of pinot gris that is very different from the…Continue readingDopff au Moulin Pinot Gris Alsace 2017
Schlossberg is an 80 hectare grand cru in Alsace that is situated eight kilometres from Colmar, overlooking the Weiss Valley. The Vins Alsace website actually has a lot of further information, including some very cool interactive maps that highlight the region’s stunning beauty. You can find it here. This wine from Paul Blanck is a very…Continue readingPaul Blanck Schlossberg Grand Cru Alsace Riesling 2011
I attended this amazing tasting back in April. It was almost a case study in outstanding premier cru and grand cru red Burgundy with 15 or more years of age on the wines. Only two wines missed the mark – one due to cork taint, the other presenting as simplistic (for a grand cru) due to suspected…Continue readingAn outstanding Burgundy tasting of pre-2003s
This wine, an Alsace riesling, was spotted for sub $20 at a big box retailer. And it’s pretty good too. It has quite pungent lemon, metal and stone aromatics. The palate is about line and length, with very high acid helping cut through its mid weight body. Some fruit sweetness and the high acidity helps…Continue readingW. Gisselbrecht Schiefferberg Single Vineyard Riesling 2013
It is true, I neither buy nor drink enough riesling as I should. German riesling, Alsace riesling, Clare and Eden Valley riesling, Austrian riesling, all unduly neglected. I don’t really even have the excuse of price with Clare and Eden Valley riesling – both are well underpriced relative to quality. This wine from Paul Blanck…Continue readingPaul Blanck Alsace Riesling Rosenbourg 2010
This is a solid, if unspectacular riesling. A pale intensity lemon in colour, it has aromatics that are youthful and remind of lemon, lime, stones, lemon peel, talc and flowers. The palate is dry, has medium to high acid, and expressions of lemon, lime and stones together with a youthful sparkle. The length is fairly…Continue readingDopff au Moulin Riesling Alsace 2011
This is a very good riesling from Josmeyer, an excellent producer in the Alsace region of France. The Le Kottabe riesling is sourced from 35 year old vineyards between Wintzenheim and Turckheim in the Haut Rhin region and is grown on soils of sand, shingle, silt, with plenty of pebbles and loess. The wine opens…Continue readingJosmeyer Le Kottabe Riesling 1999
I attended earlier this week a natural wines dinner hosted by well known Australian wine writer Max Allen at the genial Montague Hotel in South Melbourne. The food and wines were good, and so worth mentioning, as well as the underlying premise of the evening – a practical debate on the merits of natural wines…Continue readingA natural wine dinner, naturally