Search Results

Bid on this 2-bottle lot of 2019 Trimbach "Sélection de Vieilles Vignes" Riesling Alsace (95JS, 92WE, 91WS). James Suckling: "Rich, mouth-filling and highly structured, this has a touch of exotic aromas (mangosteen!), but isn’t a jot too ripe or weighty. In fact, it has wonderful silkiness, in spite of the considerable mineral power at the imposing finish. Drink or hold." (11/2020)

The 2023 Riesling Eichberg Grand Cru was picked in three parcels of this Grand Cru, namely Obergrot, Oberer Stribicher and Niedereich, from vines that are, on average, over 40 years old. Lovely flint plays around hints of green citrus. The smooth, cool flow of limestone stretches out with aromatic citrus, bright and brisk yet so gentle, soothing and cooling, bone dry and impeccably balanced. (Bone-dry)(AK)

This shows notes of pink nectarines, cherry blossoms, dried citrus peel and subtle hints of pastry crust. Sleek and round-textured with fine bubbles and a chalky, mineral aftertaste. Pinot noir. Drink now.

Bid on this 4-half-bottle lot of 2007 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Clos Jebsal Pinot Gris Sélection de Grains Nobles (375ml), a rare, luscious dessert wine from Olivier Humbrecht MW, Alsace’s first Master of Wine and one of the world’s great biodynamic winemakers. Clos Jebsal is the domaine’s walled monopole near Turckheim, whose cool, gypsum-rich marl soils produce some of Alsace’s most profound sweet wines. Sélection de Grains Nobles is the region’s highest designation for late-harvest wine, made only in exceptional years from hand-selected, botrytis-affected berries. Expect honey, dried apricot, candied peach, quince and orange marmalade layered with smoke, saffron, ginger and a mineral edge, with an unctuous, concentrated palate balanced by bright acidity and an exceptionally long finish. A collectible, age-worthy rarity, superb with foie gras, blue cheese or fruit tarts.

The 2021 Gewurztraminer Eichberg Grand Cru is from the Niedergrot parcel of this limestone Grand Cru. Rose oil is sonorous and smooth on the nose, making this seem rich, but the palate adds exquisite, gentle, creamy freshness that is like fresh whipping cream blended with orange zest. All of this is lithe, bright, citric, tender and just so flowing. With just 11-12 grams per liter of residual sugar, this strikes a most charming balance. (Dry)(AK)

The 2021 Gewurztraminer Pfersigberg Grand Cru was picked from vines over 30 years old. The nose is all rose oil and peach skin, getting ever more fragrant with time in the glass. It has beautiful fluidity and much orange peel freshness, brightness, real nuance and honeysuckle spice. The acidity makes this so precise and long, packing away the 10 g/L of sweetness.(AK)

A great masterpiece of finesse. It’s hard to adequately describe the beauty of this dry riesling that marries breathtaking stone fruit aromas with an incredible freshness to create an overwhelmingly elegant and cool whole. Let yourself sink into the deep well of its staggering minerality at the almost endless finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

This Cremant d’Alsace is still very youthful, with effusive aromas of candied lemon, toasted baguette and fresh brioche. Crisp and focused with quite some depth packed into the sleek body. Racy acidity drives the very straight, lemony finish Properly dry, even if it doesn’t say Brut on the label. A cuvee of chardonnay and pinot blanc from the vineyards of Eguisheim. Drink now.

There is something candied, almost confected about the pretty Mirabelle fruit on the nose. The palate is fresh with a slightly bitter edge of tartness. This might benefit from a little more bottle age to integrate. (AK)

The 2022 Pinot Gris Brand Grand Cru comes from almost 50-year-old vines grown on granitic soils in the Schneckelsburg parcel of this site. Slight smoke is almost smoldering on the nose while the palate is beautifully pear-flavored, with notions of baked pear that are supple yet fresh. This holds so much verticality, freshness and verve. There is just a touch of creaminess on the finish. The 2022 is a little treasure that still holds so much to be revealed. (Dry)(AK)

The 2024 Sylvaner Vieilles Vignes comes from vines planted in 1982 on a mix of limestone and clay and was made in large oak. Exquisite mandarin and clementine brightness feels unusual but vivid on the nose. The palate is wonderfully bundled and svelte, again with an unusual edge of zestiness. This stands with so much vigor and freshness, very beautiful. (Bone-dry)(AK)

*Decanter World Wine Award 2024 Gold Medal & Top Value!* Sparkling with personality and charm; parading delicious pear and apple skin notes with a savoury edge and filling the mouth with an incisive mousse. Long, lemony and persistent.

Charles Baur is a family-run estate in Eguisheim, one of Alsace’s historic wine villages. Its 2024 Cuvée Charles is made from Riesling under the Alsace appellation, whose vineyards extend along the eastern foothills of the Vosges in northeastern France.

Super focused, sleek and cool in spite of its considerable concentration, this Alsace dry riesling needs several years of bottle age to open up and reveal the aromatic treasures that are currently under lock and key. Only hints of lemon and plum showing right now. Very long, complex and delicate finish with so much energy. Better after 2024.

Already on the nose this has a terrific interplay of stone fruit and herbal freshness with a tantalizing touch of spices. You feel the power and concentration of Alsace dry riesling from a warm, dry vintage, but also a wonderful citrusy freshness. A delicate chalky minerality echoes through the very long finish. 100% from estate vineyards in Ribeauville and Bergheim. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

This Alsace dry riesling has an electric energy and dazzling minerality that makes it very fascinating, but it is only just beginning to open up aromatically. Delicate candied citrus and dried herb notes. So much power at the tightly focused finish which shoots across your palate in the direction of the next star. This has decades of life ahead of it. Drink or hold.

White stones, yellow apples and green mangoes. Taut and very sleek, this medium-bodied pinot gris is very precise and finely tuned. Long, tangy acidity. Drink now.

Gigantic concentration, elegance and finesse. The smokiness floats like a cloud over the deep dark waters of this unique wine. The spiciness is so delicate and fascinating, and although the texture is super silky, the dark minerality gives this an almost supernatural intensity in the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

The 2021 Gewurztraminer was picked in Eguisheim and Herrlisheim. Damask rose and lychee notes are immediately aromatic on the nose. The palate has the spice of honeysuckle with floral and ginger overtones, all wrapped up in grapefruit peel-tinged freshness. The texture is smooth and full. There is 11.2 g/L of residual sugar.(AK)

The 2022 Pinot Gris Eichberg Grand Cru is from the lieu-dit of Niedereich in the upper reaches of the site on limestone. The nose is shy, but the palate brings an immediate sense of baked pear, wonderfully salty and beautifully rounded, adding a slight phenolic texture. Nothing here points to a hot year. Its 6.7 g/L of residual sweetness stands against a beautiful 5.4 g/L of acidity, leaving this just off-dry and vividly fresh.(AK)

Tart lemon has an edge of softness reminiscent of a fresh Mirabelle tart. The palate of this wine majors on bright lemon juiciness with mouthwatering efficiency. For now, the wine is tight, clenched and needs to come out of its shell and share its stony secrets. It offers wonderful concentration, poise and a bone-dry finish. Drink 2025–2045. (AK)

An enticing bouquet of yellow roses, then a very striking balance of succulent yellow fruit and salty minerality make it very easy to enjoy this gewurz. Long finish with some real complexity for an entry-level wine. Drink or hold.

Kuentz-Bas traces its history to 1795 and is based in Husseren-les-Châteaux, an Alsace village named for the three medieval castle ruins overlooking the area. The 2018 “Trois Châteaux” is an old-vine Pinot Blanc that connects the estate’s regional identity with one of Alsace’s traditional white varieties.

The never-less-than-stylish Alsace house of Trimbach comes up trumps again with a soft, silky, apple-mousse-scented and properly dry white in which the fleshier Auxerrois leads the way while the 30% Pinot Blanc brings the gently incisive lemony acidity.(DW)

The wide spectrum of citrus, crisp pear and stone fruit aromas announces a remarkable achievement for an entry-level wine. Excellent depth on the racy, medium-bodied palate where the chalky minerality beautifully counterpoints the cool fruit. Crisp, long finish with so much vitality. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

This has terrific freshness for a wine from the hot and dry 2022 vintage, and you really can’t taste the 14% alcohol on the elegant, medium- to full-bodied palate. Stunning Amalfi lemon and fresh pineapple aromas with a touch of chamomile. The tannins and crushed rock minerality come through in the compact and structured finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

An elegant dry white with delicate candied citrus, pomelo and fresh nut aromas on the silky, medium-bodied palate that is simultaneously full of character and very easy to enjoy. Its drinkability has a lot to do with the way the animating freshness and hint of tannin interlock so neatly in the beautifully balanced finish. A cuvee of almost two-thirds pinot blanc and slightly more than one-third auxerrois. Drink or hold. (SP)

This deep, coral-colored sparkling wine lets you know right up front that it is to be taken seriously. Apple-juice aromas mingle with hints of petrol, toffee and caramelized onion. Those savory notes develop further on the palate, with a rich, teriyaki-like flavor that’s brightened up with apple and a hint of cranberry. At this price, you can keep a bottle of this handy to pair with any meal life throws at you, or just to enjoy on its own, to savor all of its nuances. (LS)

The 2024 Pinot Blanc is a blend of Pinot Blanc from 60-year-old vines and Auxerrois planted in 1946 and 1943, grown on granite. Tart, fresh pear is framed by lemon zest on the nose. These taut, citric notions carry onto the palate, where they are colored by riper, rounder pear. This strikes a perfectly concentrated but light balance and is bone dry. (Bone-dry) (AK)

A pretty, pale pink. Lacy, persistent bubbles. Clean, fresh and absolutely packed with ripe summer strawberries. Not remotely complex but there is so much delicious fruit in there that who cares?! 16/20 points. (TC)

The 2023 Schlossberg Grand Cru is a co-plantation of mainly Riesling, with some Pinot Gris and Muscat, from a super-dry parcel of this granitic site. This was made from a tiny yield of just 15 hl/ha. Its aromatic brilliance is immediately apparent, with such a scented top note of the purest lemon. A touch of citrus blossom hovers before the palate plunges into austere stone. This is super slender and direct, adding a floral, smooth suppleness to that naked stone. It's supplemented by a structure that is strait-laced, uncompromising and so very Schlossberg. (Bone-dry)(AK)

The 2024 Gentil Hugel is a blend of 5% Muscat, 15% Sylvaner, 15% Pinot Blanc, 20% Gewurztraminer, 30% Riesling and 15% Pinot Gris. Citrus is the keynote on the nose, but it comes with a slight overtone of rose. Lemon also sets the tone on the slender palate. This is straight as an arrow, slender, almost delicate, but with a live-wire acidity that makes it shine. Superbly refreshing. (Bone-dry)

A crazy good wine for this vintage, with razor-sharp acidity that’s untypical for the grape, but works extremely well on the rich but very focused palate. More passion fruit and mangosteen than the lychee aroma so widely associated with this grape. Absurdly refreshing finish for gewurz! Drink or hold.

The 2022 Riesling Muenchberg Grand Cru spent 14 months in stainless steel. The 60+-year-old vines grow on Triassic sandstone with some volcanic elements from the nearby Ungersberg. The nose has a touch of pear, with an overtone of candied lime and melted stearin. The palate is concentrated and balanced, with freshness framing the flesh. This is smooth, tender, bright, clear-cut and precise. The 2022 is monolithic yet understated. Give it time. (AK)

A well-structured, barely medium-bodied dry riesling with plenty of citrus and floral aromas. A touch of tannin neatly interlocks with the saline minerality. Generous, juicy and straight finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.

The tension between the ripe peach aromas and the brilliant acidity makes this a very exciting dry Alsace riesling. Extremely straight and racy. I love the smoky note that’s intertwined with the succulent fruit flavors, building in the very long, silky and refined finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

A properly dry pinot gris that is a model of balance and harmony, the creaminess balanced by discreet freshness on the medium-bodied palate. I love the fresh melon and orange blossom aromas. Just a hint of tannin in the finish adds a bit of tension. Drink now.

The 2024 Riesling Les Jardins, grown on sandstone and clay, opens with smoky notes of tart apple. The palate is crunchy, tender, tart, bright and poised. This is snappy, light and vivid, with wonderful elegance. (Bone-dry)(AK)

A blend of 45% Pinot Blanc, 23% Pinot Gris, 16% Gewurztraminer, 8% Riesling and 8% Muscat *Biodynamic*

*Biodynamic*

A classic cherry brandy from one of the most respected estates in Alsace. Produced with the sour Morello cherry, this kirsch can be the perfect ingredient in classic cocktails such as the Singapore Sling or is exquisite chilled and on its own as a digestif.

Pierre Sparr traces its Alsace winegrowing history to 1680, spanning more than three centuries in a region renowned for naming wines by grape variety. This 2024 Grande Réserve is made from Riesling, one of the four varieties traditionally designated as noble grapes in Alsace.

Domaine Albert Boxler is based in Niedermorschwihr, an Alsace village beneath the steep Sommerberg hillside. Albert Boxler began bottling the family’s wines under the estate name in 1946, building on generations of local winegrowing. This 2024 bottling is made from Gewürztraminer, one of Alsace’s traditional noble grape varieties.

It’s hard to imagine how a dry white wine could be more concentrated than this Alsace gewurz. Mind-blowing smokiness and spices, and the wine is focused in a way that is absolutely abnormal for this grape. The interplay of saltiness, delicate bitterness and restrained richness is unbelievable. Just let this incredibly deep and complex wine sink in and inspire you. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Pierre Sparr traces its Alsace winegrowing heritage to 1680, when the Sparr family established itself in the region. This 2022 Grande Réserve is made from Gewürztraminer, one of Alsace’s four traditional “noble” grape varieties, and carries the regional Alsace appellation.

The 2024 Engelgarten, from alluvial gravels mixed with clay and marl in Bergheim, is a field blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Muscat. It is shyer and more restrained than usual. This is wonderfully stony and pebbly, like wet rocks. It is totally stony and long, with far more citrus than usual but with the same insistent, lasting saltiness, bathed in lemon. A wonderful iteration of this angel's garden. (Bone-dry)(AK)

Product details coming soon.

The 2023 Rotenberg in this vintage reverted to its German cadastral name, as the French translation La Colline Rouge was used for wines that had skin maceration. This was made from directly pressed grapes, namely a field blend of Pinot Gris and Riesling rooted in south-facing, red-tinged Jurassic limestone. The nose offers vivid apple crunch, slight smokiness and beautifully crunchy apple skin. The palate is smooth, bright and fluid in nature, with the freshness and inherent coolness of limestone. This is streamlined, juicy and vivid, with an almost imperceptible 8.5 g/L of residual sweetness.(AK)