All right, this was the second part of our four-part tasting series on the Grands Crus of Alsace. We went through a bunch of Gewurztraminers in our first tasting, this time our theme was Pinot Gris.
I’m not going to re-write the background story to our tasting series again here, so if you are interested why and how we are doing these, go read the introduction in that Gewurztraminer tasting!
Anyways, here is the list of the Grand Crus, and I've bolded the names of which we have tasted so far after this tasting (click the arrow to show the list).
Altenberg de Bergbieten
Altenberg de Bergheim
Altenberg de Wolxheim
Brand
Bruderthal
Eichberg
Engelberg
Florimont
Frankstein
Froehn
Furstentum
Geisberg
Gloeckelberg
Goldert
Hatschbourg
Hengst
Kaefferkopf
Kanzlerberg
Kastelberg
Kessler
Kirchberg de Barr
Kirchberg de Ribeauvillé
Kitterlé
Mambourg
Mandelberg
Marckrain
Moenchberg
Muenchberg
Ollwiller
Osterberg
Pfersigberg
Pfingstberg
Praelatenberg
Rangen
Rosacker
Saering
Schlossberg
Schoenenbourg
Sommerberg
Sonnenglanz
Spiegel
Sporen
Steinert
Steingrubler
Steinklotz
Vorbourg
Wiebelsberg
Wineck-Schlossberg
Winzenberg
Zinnkoepflé
Zotzenberg
And, as always, we had a couple of extra bottles in addition to these Alsatian wines. All included in the tasting notes.
- 2019 Boeckel Pinot Gris Moenchberg - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% organically farmed Pinot Gris from a 0,47-hectare vineyard planted in 2014 in Grand Cru Moenchberg. Aged for 12 months in oak barriques, then blended and aged for another 6 months in stainless steel tanks. 13% alcohol, 3,3 g/l residual sugar and 45 mg/l SO2.
Youthful pale greenish color. The nose feels youthful and fruit-forward with aromas of ripe white fruits, some pear, light spicy tones, a little bit of honeydew melon, a hint of waxy richness, a fragrant touch of floral character and a faint buttery whiff of diacetyl. The wine feels surprisingly fresh, crisp and lively on the palate with a medium body and youthful flavors of pear and red apple, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light crisp citrus tones, hints of spice and floral complexity and a touch of diacetyl. The wine is enjoyably high in acidity, making the overall feel brisk and structured. The finish is dry, crisp and lively with a long, fresh aftertaste of crunchy yellow apple and pear, some tart pomelo tones, a little bit of steely minerality, light creamy notes of oak, a hint of buttery diacetyl and a touch of zesty citrus fruit.
A fun, tasty and surprisingly fresh Grand Cru Pinot Gris. You don't really associate oak aromatics with Alsatian Pinot Gris, but this wine did show some oak nuances - and even if I'm not a fan of noticeable oak aromatics, here the barrique aging seemed to play to the strengths of the wine! Granted, the wine didn't smell or taste of oak flavors per se - it was more about those creamy notes (and a faint touch of diacetyl) that suggested oak aging indirectly. Nevertheless, they didn't seem to obfuscate any of the Pinot Gris flavors, but instead only added to the complexity. This was a bit atypical effort in its genre, but a very nice wine all the same. As the wine was still super youthful, I can see it not only keeping fine for a long time, but also benefiting from additional aging - there's definitely some upside to this wine! A terrific effort and great value at 24€.
(92 points) - 2017 Domaine Ostertag Pinot Gris Muenchberg A360P - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
Ostertag's flagship Pinot Gris that was originally denied the Alsace appellation due to its atypical style. Ostertag then decided to name the wine according to the cadastral code of the 0,4-hectare parcel from which the Pinot Gris grapes are sourced, A360P - which, coincidentally, is quite similar to AOP (short for appellation d'origine protegée), if you think 360° represents a circle! The wine is made with biodynamically farmed grapes that are fermented spontaneously and aged for 11 months in new barriques made from local Vosges oak. 13,5% alcohol.
Youthful yellow-green color. The nose feels surprisingly fragrant and perfumed with expressive aromas of almost Muscat-like floral notes, some ripe white fruits, a little bit of sweet oak spice, light honeyed tones, a youthful hint of pear and a touch of spicy red apple. The wine feels rich, broad and somewhat spicy on the palate with a full body and more or less off-dry flavors of peach, some honeyed richness, light creamy notes of oak and sweet oak spice, a little bit of apple jam and poached pear, a hint of beeswax and a slightly wild, lifted touch of VA. The wine is moderately high in acidity, but the overall feel is still pretty hefty and somewhat unctuous - but not ponderous or clumsy. The finish is fresh, lively and quite long with a rich, complex aftertaste of peachy stone fruit, some ripe pear tones, a little bit of creamy oak, light spicy wood tones, hints of beeswax and wild honey and a touch of volatile lift.
A characterful, complex and tasty Pinot Gris that is maybe a tiny bit too ripe for its own good - the wine shows great depth of flavor and the acidity is enjoyably high, but despite this, the richness and hefty body still feel a bit over-the-top. The 2012 I had some while ago was similarly big and concentrated, but it seemed to sport a bit more acidity and a bit less ripeness and richness in the fruit profile, making a surprisingly big difference in the sense of balance and harmony. This was a good and impressive wine in its own right - and the wine does carry its oak influence with remarkable grace - but I know the wine can perform much better in cooler vintages. Based on this wine, I'll probably skip any warmer vintages of this label. This felt a tad pricey for the quality at 58€.
(90 points) - 2019 Domaine Bruno Sorg Pinot Gris Florimont - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Florimont. 13,5% alcohol.
Yellow-green color with lemon-yellow highlights. The nose feels surprisingly smoky and reductive with aromas of (PYCM or Coche-like) gunpowder smoke and struck match, some peachy tones, a little bit of honeydew melon, light salty notes of sea breeze and a hint of beeswax. The wine feels oily, round and quite rich on the palate with a rather full body and medium-sweet flavors of poached pear and apple jam, some peach marmalade, a little bit of flinty smoke and struck match, light spicy notes, a hint of acacia honey and a touch of extracted waxy character. The alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate and the medium acidity feels a bit modest - a wine this rich and sweetly-fruited really calls for more freshness. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweetish with a medium-long aftertaste of honey, some peachy tones, a little bit of extracted waxy character, light spicy notes, a hint of apricot jam and a reductive touch of flinty smoke.
A tasty but also quite heavy and somewhat sticky Pinot Gris that is either too sweet or too low in acidity for its own good. Although I have nothing against sweeter Pinot Gris wines per se, I feel this wine would've benefited if it had been labeled with a Vendanges Tardives designation - or if the wine really wasn't made with that late-harvested grapes, otherwise make it obvious that this wine is going to be sweet. To me, the style here was that of a dry yet concentrated Pinot Gris, but the wine just happened to be surprisingly sweet with a good dose of residual sugar. I guess the wine would've been excessively alcoholic had it been vinified fully dry (especially when taking into account how the wine felt somewhat alcoholic already now, at 13,5% ABV!), so I understand why the producer had wanted to vinify the wine medium-sweet instead. Nevertheless, the overall feel was somewhat clumsy and unbalanced to me. Pretty tasty, but still unbalanced. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 22€.
(87 points) - 2011 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% biodynamically farmed Pinot Gris. Average vineyard age here is 34 years, but the wine was made with fruit sourced from the oldest parcels planted in 1963 (ie. 48 yo vines). The wine was fermented spontaneously and relatively quickly (4 weeks) to full dryness. 15,5% alcohol, 5 g/l residual sugar, 5,2 g/l acidity and pH 3,7. Bottled in 09/2012.
Luminous, medium-deep golden yellow color. The nose feels very rich, sweet and noticeably ripe with punchy, extracted aromas of wizened nectarine, some honeyed tones, a little bit of boozy alcohol, light developed notes of Sultana raisins, an oxidative hint of nuttiness and a touch of beeswax. The wine feels big, spicy and oily on the palate with a noticeably full body and intense, dry flavors of dried yellow stone fruits, some beeswax, light spicy notes of wild honey, a little bit of boozy alcohol, a perfumed hint of floral complexity and an evolved touch of roasted nuts. The wine feels rather clumsy, ponderous and relatively low in acidity, thanks to the massively ripe fruit profile and the somewhat viscous texture. The finish is rich, heavy and oily with a powerful yet somewhat soft and short aftertaste of beeswax, some wizened apricot tones, a little bit of apple jam, light boozy notes of alcohol, a hint of honey and a touch of nuttiness. The wine ends on a rather hot note, thanks to the high alcohol.
Normally Zind-Humbrecht's wines from GC Rangen are some of the best in the genre. However, 2011 has been one of my least favorite Alsace vintages in the past 20 or so years. So here we have a battle of something that I love versus something I dislike - and unfortunately the poor vintage trumps here. The wine is very heavy, clumsy and ponderous - it doesn't really come across as overripe, just ridiculously ripe. That, combined with the excessively high alcohol and quite modest acidity, make drinking this wine like a chore. This is just way too much on so many different levels - there's no real sense of balance. I doubt any amount of aging is going to help the wine attain any sense of balance. At 66€ the wine is priced like your typical Z-H GC Rangen wine, but this just isn't showing the quality one expects from this label, so I'd say the QPR is rather poor for this particular vintage.
(82 points) - 2016 Albert Boxler Pinot Gris Brand - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% organically farmed Pinot Gris from several parcels on Grand Cru Brand, totaling 2 hectares. The vine ages ranges from 22 to 45 years. Fermented spontaneously, aged for a year in old oak foudres. 14% alcohol.
Deep and quite intense lime-green color with straw-yellow highlights. The nose feels fresh, fragrant and quite floral with expressive aromas of juicy yellow apples, some honeyed tones, a little bit of waxy richness, light developed notes of cooked cream, a mineral hint of wet rocks and a touch of exotic spices. The wine feels broad and substantial yet not too big or heavy on the palate with a full body and intense, off-dry-ish flavors of pronounced acacia honey, some ripe nectarine notes, a little bit of apple jam, light stony mineral notes, a hint of pear juice and a touch of exotic spices. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine enjoyably in balance, lending it structure that manages to cut through the slightly viscous texture. The finish is long, rich and juicy with a vibrant aftertaste of nectarine, some apple jam, light spicy notes, a little bit of waxy character and honeyed richness, a hint of pear juicy and a mineral touch of wet rocks.
A tasty, balanced and harmonious Grand Cru Pinot Gris. Maybe not a particularly delicate or refreshing effort for a white wine - but then again, I guess nobody expects a Grand Cru Pinot Gris to be like such. This is a fine and very complete wine right now, showing a great combination of vibrant fruit flavors and a little bit of evolved complexity, but I can imagine the wine will continue to evolve and improve for many, many more years. Drink or keep. Maybe not the most affordable Alsace white at 54€, but still priced somewhat according to its quality.
(93 points) - 2018 Sipp-Mack Pinot Gris Rosacker - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% organically farmed Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Rosacker. 13,5% alcohol, 18 g/l residual sugar, 5,5 g/l acidity and pH 3,4.
Pale, youthful yellow-green color. The nose feels sweetish, youthful and a bit understated with moderately ripe aromas of cantaloupe, some extracted waxy notes, a little bit of beeswax, light spicy tones and a floral hint of apple blossom. The wine feels medium-dry to medium-sweet and quite focused on the palate with a moderately full body and precise yet somewhat understated flavors of apple jam and acacia honey, some ripe nectarine notes, a little bit of cantaloupe, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of fresh and crunchy pineapple and a leesy touch of creaminess. The rather high acidity lends good sense of balance and freshness to the wine, despite the rather high residual sugar. The medium-dry finish is juicy and quite precise with a rather long aftertaste of ripe yellow apple and sweet apple jam, some honeyed tones, a little bit of ripe nectarine, light stony mineral notes, a hint of spice and a touch of fresh cantaloupe.
A fresh and tasty Pinot Gris that shows good sense of precision and structure despite the rather warm vintage. Although the wine comes across as a bit understated, it is very pleasant and harmonious off-dry Pinot Gris despite its low-key flavor profile. It is entirely possible the wine is just in a closed phase now and will become more expressive as it ages and develops some tertiary complexity. Pretty solid value at 23€.
(89 points) - 2017 Serge & Gerard Hartmann Pinot Gris Hatschbourg Serge - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Hatschbourg. 13% alcohol.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels a bit restrained but still enjoyably nuanced and juicy with layered aromas of ripe apricot and honeyed richness, some apple jam, light honeysuckle tones, a little bit of honey-oats-apple crumble, a hint of beeswax and a touch of white peach. The wine feels rich and somewhat oily yet still enjoyably balanced on the palate with a full body and medium-sweet flavors of fresh yellow apple and stony minerality, some fresh pineapple, light beeswax notes, a little bit savory spice, a hint of ripe nectarine and a touch of cantaloupe. The moderately high acidity lends enough freshness and structure to the wine to keep it in balance despite the sweetness, richness and the slightly viscous texture. The finish is long, medium-sweet and somewhat acid-driven with a nuanced aftertaste of fresh Fuji apple, some pineapple tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light spicy nuances, a hint of ripe nectarine and a touch of beeswax.
A textbook example of an off-dry Alsatian Pinot Gris - the wine is definitely somewhat sweet with a good dose of residual sugar, yet still the wine doesn't come across as clumsy, soft or heavy. On the contrary, despite all the sweetness, the wine is remarkably fresh, structured and mineral in character. The balance between the fruit, the sweetness, the body and the structure is just on point. This is a terrific wine that is still quite youthful, but is drinking really well right now. However, I have no doubts that the wine will continue to evolve and improve for many years more. Highly recommended. Superb value at 22€.
(91 points) - 2011 Serge & Gerard Hartmann Pinot Gris Hatschbourg Serge - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Hatschbourg. 13,5% alcohol.
Quite deep golden-yellow color with a slightly bronze core. The nose feels somewhat evolved with quite attractive aromas of wizened nectarine, some nutty notes of slivered almonds, a little bit of smoke, light raisiny notes of Sultanas, a hint of beeswax and a touch of caramel. The wine feels broad, round and quite heavy on the palate with a full body and quite evolved off-dry flavors of wizened nectarine, some evolved nutty notes, a little bit of apple jam, light dried-fruit notes of Sultanas and dried pineapple, a hint of beeswax and a touch of caramel. The mouthfeel is quite viscous and oily and the overall feel is lacking energy and structure due to the medium acidity. The finish is long, rich and quite ponderous with a medium-dry aftertaste of acacia honey and dried apricots, some nutty notes of slivered almonds, a little bit of ripe pineapple, light raisiny notes of Sultanas, a hint of caramel and a touch of beeswax.
An evolved but not too old Pinot Gris that just comes across as too heavy and ponderous. The wine might've been quite lovely and enjoyably complex, had it shown good sense of freshness and structure, but with the fat, round and viscous overall feel - to the quite modest acidity - the wine doesn't come across as that impressive. It's not bad, but it isn't that enjoyable to drink, either. Another example why 2011 isn't among my favorite Alsace vintages. Not really worth the 22€.
(84 points) - 2017 Domaine Frey Pinot Gris Frankstein - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Frankstein. 13% alcohol, the sweetness indice is 4/5.
Quite intense, medium-deep lime-green color. The nose feels sweet and quite ripe yet also pretty fresh and very attractive with aromas of honeyed richness and apple sauce, some apricot tones, a little bit of perfumed floral character, light beeswax notes, a hint of cloudberry jam, a touch of asserted spices and a whiff of overripe pear. The wine feels oily, somewhat round and still surprisingly balanced on the palate with a full body and intense medium-sweet flavors of apple sauce and cloudberry jam, some spicy tones, a little bit of beeswax, light nectarine notes, a hint of very ripe pear and a touch of stony minerality. The rather high acidity lends enough structure and freshness to the wine to make it feel very harmonious despite the full body and viscous texture. The medium-sweet finish is rich, round and juicy with a long aftertaste of honey and cloudberry jam, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of nectarine, light beeswax tones, a hint of apple sauce and a touch of juicy, sweet pear.
A tasty, harmonious and quite structured medium-sweet GC Pinot Gris that is still very youthful and shows great potential for future development, but is also drinking really well right now. Stylistically quite close to a Vendanges Tardives dessert wine, but showing a bit more freshness and vibrancy typical of an Alsatian off-dry Pinot Gris. While a lovely wine in its own right, it can be a bit hard to find good use for such a wine that might be a bit too sweet for a white wine and a bit too dry to be a dessert wine? Well, at least this should be a banger with all kinds of cheeses, if nothing else. Great value at 22€.
(90 points) - 2016 Domaine Romain Fritsch Pinot Gris Steinklotz - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Steinklotz. 13,5% alcohol.
Pale, rather neutral whitish-green color. The nose feels youthful and quite fruity but also somewhat understated with indistinct aromas of vague spicy character, some salty notes of sea air and a sweet hint of ripe white peach. The wine feels round, understated and somewhat listless on the palate with a moderately full body and mild off-dry flavors of apple jam, some white peach, light spicy notes, a little bit of stony minerality and a hint of cantaloupe. The rather modest medium acidity doesn't really lend much energy or sense of structure to the wine. The finish is juicy, ripe and quite straightforward with a rather reticent aftertaste of white peach, some apple jam, light spicy nuances and a hint of cantaloupe. The alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the finish.
A drinkable but ultimately very mild, mellow and uninspired GC Pinot Gris lacking in energy, structure and flavor intensity. This is just a simple off-dry white with very little depth or character. Not really at the level I'd expect from an Alsace Grand Cru. Feels overpriced for the quality at 22€.
(83 points) - 2016 Paul Blanck Pinot Gris Wineck-Schlossberg - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg. Fermented spontaneously to full dryness in stainless steel tanks over 4-10 weeks. Aged for 12 months on the lees in old oak foudres. 13,5% alcohol and 5,3 g/l residual sugar.
Pale lime-green color. The nose feels fragrant, quite ripe and wonderfully floral with aromas of lemon-scented hand soap, some perfumed notes of rose petals, a little bit of nutmeg and other exotic spices, light primary fruit notes of pear drops, a hint of saffron and a faint touch of almost sweaty pungency. The wine feels firm, dry and structured on the palate with a moderately full body and intense flavors of floral spice and zesty citrus fruit, some honeyed tones, a little bit of waxy richness, light stony mineral notes, hints of bergamot and fragrant spices and a primary touch of sweet grapey fruit. The high acidity lends great sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is lively, refreshing and floral with a rather lengthy aftertaste of zesty citrus fruits, some primary fruit notes of pear drops and ripe grapey fruit, light floral notes of roses and chamomile, a little bit of beeswax, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of stony minerality.
This was an excellent, wonderfully fresh and precise Grand Cru Pinot Gris made in a style that feels today even quite atypical - this was a dry, acid-driven and mineral white! Curiously, in our previous Alsace Grand Cru tasting, where we tasted through GC Gewurztraminers, several wines were atypically un-aromatic for the variety, coming across as more like Pinot Gris than Gewurztraminer. This wine, on the other hand, was atypically aromatic and floral for a Pinot Gris, coming across as more like a Gewurztraminer than a PG - only with acidity and minerality that would feel more at home in a Riesling! Not only was this wine among the driest wines in our GC PG tasting (if not the driest), it was also probably the most affordable as well! Furthermore, I was quite surprised how remarkably youthful - almost backward - the wine was, still showing some estery primary fruit qualities at 7½ years of age! All in all, this was a terrific wine by all standards: great already now, but showing lots of potential for further aging. I really love Alsatian Pinot Gris when a producer manages to vinify the wine to complete dryness without making the wine feel too heavy or excessively alcoholic - nor too underripe, if trying to harvest too early in order to retain acidity and not let sugars accumulate too much. This was a steal at 20€. One of the best GC PGs I've had in a while. Highly recommended.
(93 points) - 2019 Jean Becker Pinot Gris Froehn - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% organically grown Pinot Gris from 30-40 yo vines in Grand Cru Froehn. Fermented spontaneously. Aged for 9 months in old Burgindian 228-liter pièces. 13,5% alcohol and 42 g/l residual sugar.
Youthful lime-green color. The nose feels youthful but also quite simple and maybe somewhat understated with aromas of white peach and primary pear drop notes, a little bit of sweet Fuji apple, light honeyed tones and a hint of grapey fruit. The wine feels youthful and quite linear on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and medium-sweet flavors of white peach and ripe Fuji apple, some honeyed tones, light spicy nuances and a hint of white currant. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine in balance and offsets some of the sweetness. The finish is refreshing, lively and quite acid-driven but also a bit simple with a medium-long aftertaste of white peach, some honeyed tones, a little bit of ripe white currant, light Fuji apple tones and a hint of vague spicy character.
A balanced but also surprisingly linear and simple medium-sweet Pinot Gris. There's nothing wrong with the wine and it is quite balanced for such a sweet white wine, but honestly, it feels very simple and one-dimensional for a Grand Cru Pinot Gris. This feels more like an entry-level wine with its simple, youthful and rather primary fruit flavors. It's not bad in any way, just a bit disappointing - especially after about ten other Grand Cru Pinot Gris wines, most of which performed much better. I hope aging will help the wine lose those primary fruit flavors and develop some additional depth and complexity. At the moment the wine is definitely not worth the price at 26€.
(86 points) - 2016 Bott Frères Pinot Gris Gloeckelberg - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (27.2.2024)
100% Pinot Gris from Grand Cru Gloeckelberg. 12,5% alcohol, 48 g/l residual sugar.
Somewhat evolved, medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels attractive and rather sweet with layered aromas of ripe apricot, some honeyed tones, a little bit of wizened pear, light spicy red apple notes, a hint of beeswax and a touch of ripe pineapple. The wine feels clean, fresh and rather ripe with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense, medium-sweet flavors of white peach, some apple jam, light pineapple tones, a little bit of acacia honey, a hint of peach marmalade and a touch of savory spice. The high acidity lends great sense of freshness, structure and harmony to the wine. The finish is long, fresh and lively with a firm, medium-dry aftertaste of white peach, some spicy red apple, a little bit of stony minerality, light honeyed tones, a hint of apple jam and a touch of pineapple. The sweet, fruit-driven flavors linger on for a long time.
A beautifully fresh, intense and vibrant Grand Cru Pinot Gris from the sweeter end. Typically these noticeably sweet GC PG wines feel too big, ponderous and clumsy to me, but this was an exception - even though the wine is quite ripe and noticeably sweet, it doesn't come across as big or oily as the sweet Alsatian Pinot Gris wines usually do. Furthermore, the wine sports surprisingly high acidity for the variety and the style, making the wine not only feel very structured and balanced, but also seems to lend great intensity to the flavors. While the wine might not show that much depth or complexity now, as it feels still so youthful (at 7½ years of age!), I can imagine this wine will continue to evolve and improve wonderfully for many, many more years. This is pretty much everything I want from a young sweet Alsatian Pinot Gris. Very highly recommended.
(94 points) - 2019 Wittmann Riesling Trocken Estate - Germany, Rheinhessen (27.2.2024)
100% organically farmed Riesling, made exclusively from estate fruit. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Yellow-green color. The open nose is immediately recognizable as a Riesling with expressive aromas of lemon zest and beeswax, some floral notes of apple blossom and sweet meadow flowers, a little bit of almost unripe peach, light stony mineral notes and a faintest touch of petrolly diesel. The wine feels dry, crisp and somewhat austere yet still tasty on the palate with a medium body and focused flavors of lemon and pomelo, some ripe Granny Smith apple tones, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a little bit of green gooseberry, an oceanic hint of salinity and a touch of petrolly character. The brisk, racy acidity lends great sense of firmness, structure and intensity to the wine. The finish is crisp, dry and quite incisive with a long, mineral aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and sharp Granny Smith apple tones, some key lime, a little bit of steely minerality, light floral nuances, hints of wet rocks and salinity and a touch of chalky bitterness.
A crisp and surprisingly austere but still also very tasty entry-level Riesling that might be still a bit too lean and high-strung at the moment. I was surprised how young the wine was; that subtle petrolly nuance made me think of a wine with a bit more age, even if the wine didn't feel particularly old or evolved otherwise. In any case, this is a very serious and quite impressive effort for a "simple" entry-level Riesling and to me, it really feels like the wine could use some additional aging - it is still pretty tightly-wound and its fruitier nuances are still held hostage by the rather lean structure and prominent mineral tones. The wine is very good now, but I expect it to get even better with additional aging. Nice, structure-driven stuff.
(90 points) - 1998 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Cortina - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (27.2.2024)
Zinfandel sourced mainly from the Chen's Vineyard, planted in 1972. Fermented and macerated for a week in open-top fermentors. Aged for 15 months in predominantly French oak barrels (10-15% new). 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Slightly translucent and a bit evolved blackish-red color with a thin, translucent garnet rim. The nose feels sweet, fragrant and moderately oak-driven with aromas of sweet, toasty wood, some ripe boysenberry tones, a little bit of strawberry, light black cherry tones, a hint of smoke, a touch of dried figs and a faint green-toned herby whiff. Despite the somewhat glossy, oak-driven overall character, the nose feels nonetheless quite complex and pretty attractive. The nose feels juicy, clean and ripe with a moderately full body and dry flavors of toasty oak spice and ripe boysenberry, some strawberry tones, a little bit of brambly black raspberry, light mocha oak tones, a vegetal hint of beet and green herbal character and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine is relatively high in acidity with ample yet silky tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is rich, juicy and gently grippy with a long, nuanced aftertaste of wizened dark fruits, some toasty notes of chocolatey mocha oak and sweet spices, a little bit of boysenberry, light peppery tones, a hint of strawberry and a touch of brambly black raspberry. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a slightly warm note.
A nice, balanced and quite serious Zinfandel that is still remarkably youthful at +25 years of age! Sure, there are some evolved characteristics both in the nose and on the palate, but nevertheless, the wine is much more vibrant and youthful than I expected! There's also one downside to this - the wine is still surprisingly oak-driven, both in the nose and on the palate. Actually the wine is so oaky that I find it hard to believe it has seen only 10-15% new oak - that little new oak should've integrated with all this fruit years ago. Fortunately the wine carries that new oak influence quite well - even if I'm not a fan of obvious oak tones, this wine was thoroughly enjoyable all the same. Seeing how the wine is still so youthful (unlike the somewhat more evolved bottle we had a few years ago), I can imagine it will continue to evolve and improve for many more years. This has been a great purchase at 24€.
(91 points)
Posted from CellarTracker