Browse Tag

alsace

Little cuts

Trimbach 2006 Riesling (Alsace) – Wet iron, apple skin, lots of juicy and balanced acidity. Simpler than normal. Perhaps not their best work. No, this is never actually comparable with their domaine-sourced wines, but there’s a lack of nerve here. (6/10)

I, a gris

Trimbach 2004 Pinot Gris “Réserve” Ribeauvillé (Alsace) – Drinking really well, but the period of its drinking needs to come to an end soonish, because the metal-jacketed spiced pear – as consistent an organoleptic characteristic as one will ever find – is being decided in favor of the metal-jacketing, which is a sign that the wine’s about to enter its declining years. No stupendous hurry, but still: drink up. (6/10)

And the wind cries Hunawihr

Zind-Humbrecht 1997 Pinot Gris Hunawihr Clos Windsbuhl (Alsace) – Very sweet, as befits the vintage. Intense pear syrup and spice jacketed in metal plate armor. A touch hot and short – also unfortunate vintage artifacts – but this is holding on better than many of its fellow ‘97s, especially given the grape. Drink up, though. (7/10)

National guard

Trimbach 2004 Ribeauvillé Pinot Gris “Réserve” (Alsace) – This was always a concentrated, vibrant vintage for this wine, but the first signs of unraveling are apparent in this bottle, as the metal-jacketed spiced pear begins to separate into its three components, without the cohesiveness that has been a signature of the wine since release. Drink up, I think. (5/10)

Garfunkel

Boxler 2007 Pinot Blanc (Alsace) – Spiky and disjointed, the acid/fruit/sugar combo completely skewed towards chaos. Not much spice, a lot of eroded minerality, and a powerfully imbalancing alcoholic heat that eventually overwhelms the wine. Here’s something I didn’t think was possible: a Boxler wine by which I’m actively repelled. This could come from Carneros, or somewhere hotter. (5/10)

R you ready?

Trimbach 2007 Riesling “R” (Alsace) – I don’t know what this wine is, I’ve neglected to ask while at Trimbach, and I’ve only ever had it at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. I presume there’s some sort of differentiation between this and the yellow-label négociant riesling, but if there is all I can identify about it is that this is a little more mediocre. Still dry, still bony, still mineralistic and firmly-structured, but also somewhat wan. (5/10)

Proceed to the Schlossberg cutoff, then…

Weinbach 1998 Riesling Schlossberg “Cuvée Ste-Catherine” (Alsace) – Shockingly advanced. Very dark, and showing something that’s not quite oxidation (aside from the usual oxidative character that imbues really old wines), but rather the dusty creaminess of a much older riesling. The metallic edginess of the vineyard is still present, but starting to be overwhelmed by the aged characteristics. I doubt this is a typical performance for this wine, and though I don’t know where to place the blame for the quick maturity (heat damage is unlikely, cork failure is more likely), those who own it in quantity might want to check on a bottle, just to be sure. (5/10)

Piyes

Trimbach 2006 Pinot Blanc (Alsace) – From a bottle opened 24 hours earlier and mostly consumed. Apricot and dry, vaguely citrusy stuff. Some minerality showing, perhaps a little more than usual. Fair enough. (5/10)

McNally

Albrecht 2006 Pinot Blanc “Cuvée Balthazar” (Alsace) – Completely oxidized, a victim of its Nomacorc. (5/10)