(CREMANT Leon Boesch) Leon Boesch - IMPORTANT Dear Friends, I’ve been trying to get the rights to this producer for almost three years and my patience has finally paid off - as one of the more inspirational 100% organic/biodynamic producers in France, the mother and son team at Leon Boesch should make very big names for themselves in the US, similar to what Clos Roche Blanche accomplished 7-8 years ago and their effect on the Loire Valley trade in the US. This winery is as exciting as Boxler before anyone in the US knew about them. Leon Boesch (Matthieu and Marie Boesch to be exact with the help of three other family members) produces some of the most sought after unknown wine in the Westhalten region south of Colmar. They are the eleventh generation to do so and their family has been cultivating grapes here since 1640 (makes you realize how infantile our culture is in the US). This area lays claim to a bevy of top vineyards including Grand Cru sites among the most concentrated but delicate in Alsace. Leon Boesch lies in an incredible micro-climate, nestled into the foothills of the Petit Ballon (4000+ ft) that block the huge storm clouds from eastern France and you can literally see the warm air-currents rush up the western side of their vineyards toward the peak of Ballon (helping to create the clouds but also pushing their force away). This result is one of the driest 1-2km bowls in all of Alsace and to you and I that means one thing: exceptional fruit. All of the wines below are picked from their own biodynamic vineyards, from 100% natural yeast and no intervention in the fermentation process - what you see is what you get. None of the grapes are purchased or brought in for use. Their harvest is painstaking in its detail and they bring in nearly two dozen friends and family to help (bribed with a big meal at the end of each day and a case of the current vintage Riesling or grape they are picking - a wonderful way to accomplish a harvest with the stress on). Scattered bottles have made their way to the US of Leon Boesch over the past few vintages but this is the first major debut of their wines. I’ve made an initial selection below and all of these merit serious attention. I would like this offer to resonate all day so it will be the only offer today - no other distractions (unless some sort of emergency offer arises, which I do not anticipate). That being said, I can’t urge you strongly enough to sample the portfolio below. The wines are so well-priced for all-season consumption that I can’t pick a favorite. Enjoy this top new producer and don’t ignore the Cremant - it’s a knockout: We have exceptional prices on this lot - about the same as in Colmar (our prices should be almost half of normal US pricing). With today’s near 1.60 Euro rate, this becomes one of our top value offers of the season: 2006 Leon Boesch Alsace Gewürztraminer (Westhalten) STRICT LIMIT 6/person If you think Gewurztraminer is for someone else, guess again. This wine is lightly residual, botrytis affected and very strong (from a quality standpoint, not a power standpoint). It has a soaring nose of flowers and fresh breezes that give the pedigree away (this wine is sourced form de-class grand cru material and some of their favorite village sources). I should probably raise the price of this so people take it more seriously but one sip will do all the talking for me it is. A major bargain and showcase of how deep organically cultivated and produced wine can be. When you let nature do the talking, the song remains anything but the same. 2006 Leon Boesch Alsace “Tradition” Riesling STRICT LIMIT 6/person This is the ideal 2006 - a vintage that gave some of the most unusual wines with a dry botrytis character that is rainbow rich in what I call “flavor-color”. The noble rot gave the Riesling a vivid quality that cannot be duplicated and (according to Matthieu) never has been before. A striking nose of mango and stone in the same sniff that belies the dry nature of the wine on the palate. The goal here is 0 RS and they came very close - cleansing in an exotic way with low alcohol (11.5-12.2%). Everyone should try this - drinking well now and over the next 5-7 years. This price for biodynamic Alsatian Riesling? A crazy value. 2005 Leon Bosch Brut Reserve Cremant d’Alsace (vintage Cremant) STRICT LIMIT 6/person Considered one of the top houses in Alsace for Cremant, Boesch produces a gorgeous, delicate sparkling wine that will defy your pre-conceptions of what can be done outside of Champagne. From 50% Pinot Blanc, 25% Pinot Noir and 25% Riesling (surprise), if you are a fan of some of the top value sparklers like Yarrabank, you will fall in love with the delicate, ginger and spice in this beautifully made bottle of sparkling wine. This wine is not intended to be a bargain offering, it is their top Cremant. Excellent - would be a major hit in high-end restaurants. 2005 Leon Boesch “Breitenberg” Vallee Noble Riesling EXTREMELY LIMITED Named after a Medieval castle at the top of the vineyard, this south facing site produces pressed wine of deep complexity. The Riesling is a relatively dry, ageworthy example that will take 1-2 more years to unfold. Breitenberg gives low-RS and it is getting up there (altitude-wise and hierarchy-wise) - they do not want a wine that is showy upon bottling as it is meant for the cellar. Stony (in a limestone way), compact and deceptively masculine, the pent-up tone mingles with a few grams of RS that gives a very dry and balanced impression of pure Riesling fruit that has obvious breed. Give the Breitenberg until winter 2009 and watch the fireworks (I tasted the 2002 and 2004 side by side with the 2005 and everyone is in for a real treat at this price-level). An outstanding effort and one that should be closer to $30 or more. Can last up to 15 years. All of the above are directly from the cellars at Leon Boesch - all are on the water and will arrive in early summer. They can be picked up at your leisure or will ship during the first available shipping window (weather permitting). Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Als6010 Als6020 Als6030 Als6040
By Jon Rimmerman
(CREMANT Leon Boesch) Leon Boesch - IMPORTANT Dear Friends, I’ve been trying to get the rights to this producer for almost three years and my patience has finally paid off - as one of the more inspirational 100% organic/biodynamic producers in France, the mother and son team at Leon Boesch should make very big names for themselves in the US, similar to what Clos Roche Blanche accomplished 7-8 years ago and their effect on the Loire Valley trade in the US. This winery is as exciting as Boxler before anyone in the US knew about them. Leon Boesch (Matthieu and Marie Boesch to be exact with the help of three other family members) produces some of the most sought after unknown wine in the Westhalten region south of Colmar. They are the eleventh generation to do so and their family has been cultivating grapes here since 1640 (makes you realize how infantile our culture is in the US). This area lays claim to a bevy of top vineyards including Grand Cru sites among the most concentrated but delicate in Alsace. Leon Boesch lies in an incredible micro-climate, nestled into the foothills of the Petit Ballon (4000+ ft) that block the huge storm clouds from eastern France and you can literally see the warm air-currents rush up the western side of their vineyards toward the peak of Ballon (helping to create the clouds but also pushing their force away). This result is one of the driest 1-2km bowls in all of Alsace and to you and I that means one thing: exceptional fruit. All of the wines below are picked from their own biodynamic vineyards, from 100% natural yeast and no intervention in the fermentation process - what you see is what you get. None of the grapes are purchased or brought in for use. Their harvest is painstaking in its detail and they bring in nearly two dozen friends and family to help (bribed with a big meal at the end of each day and a case of the current vintage Riesling or grape they are picking - a wonderful way to accomplish a harvest with the stress on). Scattered bottles have made their way to the US of Leon Boesch over the past few vintages but this is the first major debut of their wines. I’ve made an initial selection below and all of these merit serious attention. I would like this offer to resonate all day so it will be the only offer today - no other distractions (unless some sort of emergency offer arises, which I do not anticipate). That being said, I can’t urge you strongly enough to sample the portfolio below. The wines are so well-priced for all-season consumption that I can’t pick a favorite. Enjoy this top new producer and don’t ignore the Cremant - it’s a knockout: We have exceptional prices on this lot - about the same as in Colmar (our prices should be almost half of normal US pricing). With today’s near 1.60 Euro rate, this becomes one of our top value offers of the season: 2006 Leon Boesch Alsace Gewürztraminer (Westhalten) STRICT LIMIT 6/person If you think Gewurztraminer is for someone else, guess again. This wine is lightly residual, botrytis affected and very strong (from a quality standpoint, not a power standpoint). It has a soaring nose of flowers and fresh breezes that give the pedigree away (this wine is sourced form de-class grand cru material and some of their favorite village sources). I should probably raise the price of this so people take it more seriously but one sip will do all the talking for me it is. A major bargain and showcase of how deep organically cultivated and produced wine can be. When you let nature do the talking, the song remains anything but the same. 2006 Leon Boesch Alsace “Tradition” Riesling STRICT LIMIT 6/person This is the ideal 2006 - a vintage that gave some of the most unusual wines with a dry botrytis character that is rainbow rich in what I call “flavor-color”. The noble rot gave the Riesling a vivid quality that cannot be duplicated and (according to Matthieu) never has been before. A striking nose of mango and stone in the same sniff that belies the dry nature of the wine on the palate. The goal here is 0 RS and they came very close - cleansing in an exotic way with low alcohol (11.5-12.2%). Everyone should try this - drinking well now and over the next 5-7 years. This price for biodynamic Alsatian Riesling? A crazy value. 2005 Leon Bosch Brut Reserve Cremant d’Alsace (vintage Cremant) STRICT LIMIT 6/person Considered one of the top houses in Alsace for Cremant, Boesch produces a gorgeous, delicate sparkling wine that will defy your pre-conceptions of what can be done outside of Champagne. From 50% Pinot Blanc, 25% Pinot Noir and 25% Riesling (surprise), if you are a fan of some of the top value sparklers like Yarrabank, you will fall in love with the delicate, ginger and spice in this beautifully made bottle of sparkling wine. This wine is not intended to be a bargain offering, it is their top Cremant. Excellent - would be a major hit in high-end restaurants. 2005 Leon Boesch “Breitenberg” Vallee Noble Riesling EXTREMELY LIMITED Named after a Medieval castle at the top of the vineyard, this south facing site produces pressed wine of deep complexity. The Riesling is a relatively dry, ageworthy example that will take 1-2 more years to unfold. Breitenberg gives low-RS and it is getting up there (altitude-wise and hierarchy-wise) - they do not want a wine that is showy upon bottling as it is meant for the cellar. Stony (in a limestone way), compact and deceptively masculine, the pent-up tone mingles with a few grams of RS that gives a very dry and balanced impression of pure Riesling fruit that has obvious breed. Give the Breitenberg until winter 2009 and watch the fireworks (I tasted the 2002 and 2004 side by side with the 2005 and everyone is in for a real treat at this price-level). An outstanding effort and one that should be closer to $30 or more. Can last up to 15 years. All of the above are directly from the cellars at Leon Boesch - all are on the water and will arrive in early summer. They can be picked up at your leisure or will ship during the first available shipping window (weather permitting). Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Als6010 Als6020 Als6030 Als60404/16/2008, (See more on Garagiste...)