Alsace, mostly Riesling
Alsace
Tasted Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - Thursday, July 31, 2014 by honest bob with 556 views
Introduction
We didn't make appointments on this trip, preferring to drop in during the general opening hours advertised on the producers' websites. Thus we encountered salespersons rather than winemakers, but were pleasantly surprised by their politeness and warmth (and readiness to switch to German or even English when our broken French broke down).
Flight 1 - Léon Beyer, Eguisheim (5 Notes)
The winery on the edge of town was a hive of activity; minor repairs getting done on a day too rainy to get out into the fields. So we were directed on to the tiny shop in the exquisitely beautiful city centre. All the wines tasted brutally young, bone dry, with crunchy green-apple-like acidity. Fermentation in big old oak casks; no malo. My tongue felt like it had been pickled in apple acid for well over an hour afterwards.
Flight 2 - Albert Mann, Wettolsheim (7 Notes)
Compared to Beyer's wines these were much more aproachable. Generally less dry, less brutally acidic. Perhaps less ageworthy? Fermentation in steel vats, no malo. The price of the top wines, especially the GC Rieslings has increased sharply. Given that the acclaimed 2010 GC Schlossberg is currently available at retail for about 27 EUR in Germany, it seemed dramatic that the 2012 vintage is being sold at the cellar door for 38 EUR, putting it firmly in the price range of, for example, Trimbach's Frédéric Emile.
Flight 3 - Paul Blanck, Kientzheim (7 Notes)
A warm welcome in the walk-in tasting room. We thought all the wines were beautifully made, and well-priced. They were vastly more friendly than Beyer's, and more up-front than Mann's. The salesperson was unable to answer our technical questions, so I was left wondering in ignorance whether at least some of the wines tasted had completed malo. Interestingly, the Riesling Schlossberg 2012 was already completely sold out in all formats, perhaps unsurprisingly given the quality of the Schlossberg 2010 (at 15 EUR the bargain buy of our trip) and the massive discrepancy between its price and that of Albert Mann's Schlossberg (38 EUR).
Flight 4 - Restaurant disappointments (2 Notes)
Being fans neither of sauerkraut with vast quantities of fatty pork on top, nor of tourist trap restaurants with the frozen food delivery van parked right outside, we were (again) disappointed at the quality of food offered by various Trip Advisor-praised restaurants, at quite steep price points for the quality. The best food we found was at the yuppie Flammkuchen joint "Flamme & Co" in Kaysersberg, but here (as elsewhere) many of the exciting wines on the menu (Weinbach/Faller etc) were not available, so we were served inferior plonk made by friends of the proprietor... Mostly we didn't keep track of the disappointments, but these two inferior half bottles were presented with such chutzpah at a restaurant in Riquewihr that it seemed worth recording their deficiencies for other potential victims.
2012 Léon Beyer Riesling 83 Points
France, Alsace
(7/30/2014)
The scent is generous, almost fruity, so the taste comes as a complete surprise: very thin, super-dry or even sour underripe green apple entry; linear on mid-palate and short finish. 12% alc. A mouth-puckering challenge. 83P
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2011 Léon Beyer Riesling Reserve 85 Points
France, Alsace
(7/30/2014)
Spicy scent, with a touch of oak(?) Bone dry, with a bit more body than the basic Riesling. Sharp green apple again, but longer, perceptible minerality and a medium-long finish. 12,5% alc. 85-86P
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2007 Léon Beyer Riesling Les Ecaillers 89 Points
France, Alsace
(7/30/2014)
From GC Pfersigberg. Smoke, green citrus, a touch of star fruit and a very faint whiff of caramel on the nose. Bone-dry, structured, crystalline palate, a step-like crescendo of mineral intensity through to the persistant, very acidic finish. 12,5% alc. 15,80 EUR at cellar door. Best in 4-5 years? 89P(+)
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2007 Léon Beyer Riesling Cuvée des Comtes d'Eguisheim 89 Points
France, Alsace
(7/31/2014)
From GC Pfersigberg. A much darker colour than the 2007 Ecaillers. Smoke and citrus again on the nose. Bone dry again, but fuller-bodied (13% alc), slightly fatter and despite the crunchy green apple acidity more melting. Retronasal terpentine. Should be superb in 4-5 years time, now still an acidic challenge. 26,80 EUR at cellar door. 89P(++)
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2007 Léon Beyer Riesling Rare 90 Points
France, Alsace
(7/31/2014)
From GC Eichberg. Smoky, cinnamon-baked spicy green apple scent. Baked apple entry, crunchy acidity; long tingling finish. 13% alc. Very fine, best in 4-5 years. 26,80 EUR at cellar door. 90P(+)
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