2003 Léon Beyer Pinot Noir Comtes d'Eguisheim

Community Tasting Notes (6) Avg Score: 88.9 points

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  8/7/2023 - InVinjeVeritas wrote: 89 Points

  Very bold and fruity for an Alsace red. More like a Burgundy. Obviously a result of the vintage.

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  4/14/2017 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points

  As I said in my previous TN, this is a wine made in extraordinary vintages when the Pinot Noir grapes can attain high enough ripeness - which isn't that often in Alsace. 2003 was the hottest vintage in France for some 500 years, so attaining high enough ripeness didn't pose much problems that year. 13,5% alcohol.
  
  Dark yet moderately translucent cherry red color with moderately brick-orange rim. Very open, aromatic and even rather meaty nose with intense aromas of sweet black cherries, earthiness, floral tones of violets, some peppery spice, a little bit of some leafiness and even light compost-y character of sous-bois, a sweet Chambord-esque hint of black raspberry marmalade and a touch of raisins. Lots of things going on here, really. The wine is dry, moderately full-bodied and quite mouthfilling - it shows some chewy character, yet it doesn't come across as colossal or fat. There are intense, savory flavors of ripe dark frutis, crunchy dark berries, some raspberries, a little bit of earthiness and peppery spice and a touch of prunes or raisins. The wine is remarkably structured with high acidity and moderately firm and grippy tannins. The finish is long, ripe and spicy with very textural and moderately grippy mouthfeel and intense, savory flavors of dark cherries, some ripe dark plums, a hint of smoke and a touch of raisins.
  
  To this date this wine still remains as one of the most impressive Alsatian Pinot Noirs I've ever tasted. It is big, serious and full of character, but also so very unlike any other Alsatian Pinot Noir. This is much more Burgundian than Alsatian, but still so very different. A tannic beast for a Pinot Noir where you can't be sure if those dried fruit cahracteristics are from the hot vintage or bottle age. Although not a young wine anymore, it was still remarkably firm and youthful - a noteworthy trick for an Alsatian pinot Noir at 13 years of age - and probably could even develop further for some years. Will keep for a lot longer. A one-of-a-kind wine and good value at 40€.

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  1/29/2014 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points

  A wine made in extraordinary vintages when the Pinot Noir grapes can attain high enough ripeness - which isn't that often in Alsace. 2003 was the hottest vintage in France for some 500 years, so attaining high enough ripeness didn't pose much problems that year.
  
  Quite dark, brooding black cherry color with some translucency. Somewhat restrained but very attractive, complex and somewhat developed nose with aromas of wizened dark cherries, some earthy spice, a little bit of leather and a hint of smoky character. The wine is medium-bodied, dry and surprisingly rich for an Alsatian Pinot Noir with some good sense of weight. There are complex flavors of earthy spiciness, very ripe dark cherries, leather, some dried dark fruit character, a light and bitter touch of dark chocolate shavings, a floral hint of violets and a touch of mushroomy sous-bois. The wine is pretty tough and tannic for an Alsatian Pinot Noir - come to think of it, this might be the most tannic Alsatian wine I've ever tasted - and along with its relatively high acidity the wine comes across as pretty firm and structured, even now, after 10 years from the vintage. The depth and complexity here is remarkable. The finish is long, rich and complex with pretty noticeable tannic grip, pronounced spicy bitterness and concentrated, yet dry flavors of dark cherries, some smoke, a little bit of wizened dark berries and fruits and a hint of loamy soil.
  
  Although not actually a big wine, this is still a quite massive and monolithic example of Alsatian Pinot Noir. Although the year was hot and you can sense the ripeness in the wine (it's hard to tell whether the dried fruit characteristics - at times even raisiny notes - come from the hot season or the 10 years of aging), the wine itself is still remarkably dry, structured and balanced, never coming across as too heavy or wanting for more structure. More Burgundian than Alsatian in style, this is perhaps the greatest Alsatian Pinot Noir I've tasted and miles better than any other 2003 French Pinot Noir I've tasted. Most likely still going up and will keep for more than a decade in a cellar. Priced accordingly at 40€.

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  1/27/2014 - Vintomas wrote: 89 Points

  The Alsace Wine Day 2014 (Operaterrassen, Stockholm): Nose with cherries, some dried red berries, smoke, and a hint of flowers. Palate with powerful concentration, ripe red berries, some dried red berries, and medium+ tannins. Tough and still young, 89 p.
  This 2003 is very good wine, but surprisingly tough for a red wine from Alsace, and can definitely take additional cellaring.

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  1/20/2011 - Finare Vinare wrote: 87 Points

  Resembles an oldfashioned a ripasso with rotting apples, raisins, dates, almonds and dried cherries. Very hard to score this wine, since it's completely atypical for its grape and its region, yet quite interesting and honestly crafted. 2003 was a crazy year indeed.

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