Tasting at Domaine Weinbach

• 2021 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Noir Altenbourg

  France, Alsace

  Pale red. Fragrant green aromas. Medium weight, very good texture. Red berry fruit and lots of herbs set atop a core of clay and crunchy acidity. Quite tannic. Very good, proper Pinot Noir with limited upside.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Théo

  France, Alsace

  Full yellow. Quite herbaceous for Riesling. Medium to full bodied. Dry, rich citrus, sandy base, and moderate acidity. Bitterness curtails the finish. Good but not that lively and one dimensional at this point.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Colette

  France, Alsace

  Slightly lighter yellow. Higher toned aromas. Lighter and more angular than the Théo. Almost sweet peach entry, tea, and the a classic lemony dry finish with gentle soil. Better shape here. I like it.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Altenbourg

  France, Alsace

  Yellow. Light petrol. Medium weight. Properly tart stone fruit. Just off dry. Moderate acidity and intensity but a long soil finish. Overall I preferred the Colette as this lacked excitement.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Mixture of fruit and herbs on the nose. Medium to light weight. Dry, nice layer of sweet fruit and flesh followed by excellent acidity and a classic finish of stone dust. Excellent future and seems likely to develop strong petrol once it enters its secondary phase.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Yellow. Flowers and herbs. Medium body. Poised ripe stone fruit that is not overly sweet. Gentle, fluid, and very harmonious. Excellent acidity, outstanding sense of stone, and bitter orange rind at the end. My clear favorite amongst the 2022 Rieslings.

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• 2021 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Light yellow. Perfumed petrol aromas. Less weighty and more lemony than the 2022. Good stone fruit, outstanding acidity, and some minerality, but the intensity just is not there, and the finish is transient and unconvincing.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris Les Caracoles

  France, Alsace

  Medium yellow. Rich apple and herb nose with a touch of brioche. Medium weight but slightly oily, rich feel. Dry, some apple, excellent acidity, and some soil. While this sounds appealing, the flavors are actually neutral and the finish is austere. I did not care for this recently introduced cuvée.

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• 2020 Domaine Weinbach Schlossberg Sous la Foret

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  A 90% Pinot Gris/10% Riesling blend. Yellow. Bright, citric nose which seems to reflect the Riesling. Lighter weight. Flavors of citrus pith and strong soil finish. This has excellent focus and much more interest than the younger Caracoles.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Furstentum Pinots

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  Another cuvée that is new to me, which is a mixture of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Auxerrois. I forgot to ask if this is complantation or a later blend of the grapes. Light yellow. Pungent ripe fruit scents. Medium+ weight, round and textural with some wood at the base. Honey and some definite front end sweetness. The initial impression is that of soft, blurry fruit, but it finishes with good lemony acidity and lots of soil. Interesting but diffuse and poorly knit at this point.

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• 2022 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Les Treilles du Loup

  France, Alsace

  Light yellow. Intensely floral, high toned aromas-full bore varietal nose. Medium to lighter body, moderate intensity of lychee and citrus flavors, light spice, good acidity. Dry throughout and some varietal bitterness on the shorter finish. Good wine which I could see being versatile with curries and the like, but you really have to like characteristic Gewurz aromas and flavors to enjoy this.

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• 2013 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Vendanges Tardives

  France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru

  This bottle had been opened 4 days earlier and was tasted blind. I guessed Riesling from a high acid vintage. Odd slightly mousy aromas but better in the mouth. More rich than sweet citrus, excellent acidity, and a very earthy finish. Hardly pristine but not at all oxidized. I suspect that freshly opened bottles have at least very good potential, but who knows from this problematic year?

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• 2020 Domaine Weinbach Pinot Gris Altenbourg Vendanges Tardives

  France, Alsace

  Full yellow color. Honeyed. Medium to full bodied. Rich tropical fruit, moderate sweetness, adequate but unimpressive acidity, average length. Some delicious, succulent fruit, but simple and lacking energy and balance.

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I have been a longstanding fan of this property but have to say that this range was very disappointing, with a number of wines that were uninteresting or a bit strange. Some of this may reflect my lack of enthusiasm for 2022, but I also wonder if the more experimental approach of the current generation of winemakers has steered things a little off course.