TN Alsatian stunners

Yes, but the grape variety with which Alsace excels over any other place in the world is... Gewurztraminer!

Well, it could also be argued that Alsace does dry Riesling better than anywhere else (though Austria and certain German producers make that a contentious claim). Certainly, Trimbach's CFE and CSH are two outstanding examples.

Mark Lipton

Comparing Riesling and Gewurztraminer is somewhat like comparing apples and oranges, or perhaps apples and mangos. They are very different in bouquet and taste even at the basic level of wine. For me, Gewurztraminer from Alsace only is a great wine in some of the late harvest ones such as Schlumberger 1976 SGN and Hugel 1976 SGN. On the other hand, the best of the fully dry Alsace Rieslings can be very good food wines and can compete with any fully dry Rieslings in the world. For my taste, Trimbach's Clos Sainte Hune is perhaps the best fully dry Riesling in the world on the average if you are willing to wait the often many years it requires to come around. Unfortunately it can be difficult to find and quite expensive. It can be quite aggressive when young. But very rarely top late harvest Alsace Rieslings are made that are extremely good. Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile SGN 1989 comes to mind. While it may not reach the heights of a top German BA or TBA, it still does not suffer much on comparison.

Of course tastes have changed with time. People in the 1800s sometimes had quite sweet wines, such as Sauternes, even Yquem, with oysters, lobsters, and other seafood often served with sauces very rich in butter and/or cream. People with such an old fashioned taste might well like a late harvest, sweet Gewurztraminer or Riesling with such fishy dishes.

Agree that top Alsace Gewurz blows away Gewurz from just about any other region - but I would say the same for Pinot Gris, especially when it's made in an off-dry style. I had the privilege of tasting a

99 Zind Humbrecht Rangen (Clos St. Urbain) Pinot Gris VT some time ago, and it remains one of the most breathtaking wines I've ever tasted in terms of complexity, uniqueness and balance - and I have a hard time imagining PG producers in Italy, Germany or any place in the New World coming close to such wines.

Cheers,

Salil

Stylistically they're worlds apart, but the Pinot Grigios from Friuli and Alto Adige can be quite lovely.

Mark Lipton

I would tend to agree, although I love PG Ihringer from Dr. Hager. Cannot think of any interesting PG from Italy, jsut some light quaffs for the summer.

D'accord. There are fine examples in Austria, Germany and Alto Adige, but nothing comes close to better Alsace Gewurz.

M.

Hi John,

Thanks very much for these notes.

Broad grin!!

As it happens, Jacquie & I went to a tasting of the baby wines (2007) froim the Biodyvin group of winemakers, and there were some 8 or 9 growers from Alsace. What I found was that the standard of winemaking was generally astonishingly high. Rieslings with lovely fresh acidity allied to considerable minerality and sufficient body to promise a long and glorious life. And that was just the generic Rieslings. The single vineyards and Grand Crus were simply amazing. I don't share the feeling that Auxerrois is a lesser wine, even in such stellar company. BUT it has to be judged on its own merits, I feel. I've always found it's on a par with Gruner Veltliner as a food wine.

As for Gewurztraminers... while I'm not the worlds #1 fan of the grape variety in general, I have to say that when handles by someone who knows how to deal with it without descending in vulgar self parody, it's a delight.

-- All the best Fatty from Forges