Barth 2016 Alsace Riesling Granite

Mostly from the Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard in Kintzheim, this is an impressive Riesling from granite terroir. Beautiful in 2016, with textbook mineral structure from the granite soils, and a convincingly dry finish for a wine with about 12g residual sugar. Honestly, looking over my notes, I was surprised to see that the RS was even above 2g, let alone more than 10! There is such a persistent minerality and acidity to the wine that the wine, though it has an overall broad and full mouthfeel, still finishes clean and dry. An exceptional Riesling that is just beginning to drink very nicely in it's early age.  -EL

Beck-Hartweg 2016 Alsace Grand Cru Frankstein Riesling

This is a memorable Riesling from two parcels in the Grand Cru of Frankstein, which rests above the town of Dambach-la-Ville on a fault of granite. Frauenberg is a parcel that gives small berries that Florian and Mathilde find to have great concentration and intense acidity. This is blended with fruit from the Pflanzer parcel, which has less intensity and provides more delicate character to the blend. There is less intense dryness here than with the 2015 vintage, which translates to a bit more ripeness and body. Quite reductive and 'petroly' on the nose upon opening, but give it time, and something ethereal and quite enjoyable emerges. The first bottle I opened stateside was forgotten in my fridge for about a week, and I was greatly impressed with how lovely it was 7 days after opening! Definitely a young wine, but a very pure and age-worthy wine nonetheless. Guaranteed there's enough acidity and mineral sharpness from the granitic soils for this natural wine to age gracefully without fear of bacterial issues developing.    -EL

Beck-Hartweg 2016 Vin d'Alsace Lieu Dit Blettig Pinot Gris

Beck-Hartweg 2016 Vin d'Alsace Riesling

This is a lovely entry-level dry Riesling from Florian and Mathilde Beck-Hartweg. A blend of fruit from different sites,  with varied terroirs, meant to be approachable, well-rounded and easy-drinking. Unlike most of their line-up of unfiltered and unsulfited wines, this one is lightly filtered and has a small addition of SO2 before bottling. Also unlike their other wines in stock, this one does not showcase the intense structure and minerality of their granite sites, instead offering a more homogenous and round mouthfeel.  -EL

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Alsace Grand Cru Frankstein "Cuvee Lily"

Named after Florian and Mathilde's friendly, zany, grape-eating daughter, Cuvée Lily is a blend of the four varieties that the Beck-Hartwegs have planted on the Grand Cru Frankstein. This is a Frankstein wine through and through, so we are meant to focus less on the grape varieties, in fact, and instead take in the signature granitic salinity and spice of the Frankstein terroir. Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir (direct press) are blended here. The wine is elegant, with structure, and a very long finish. Since the parcels are situated high and low on the Frankstein slopes, there is a nice balance between the sharpness and salinity from the higher parcels, and the richer, and more delicate fruit from the lower part of the hill. All in all, it's a lovely wine, and one that should age beautifully over the next 3-10 years.   -EL

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Granit

This is a field blend that was made to show the character of the soil in Dambach. Florian and Mathilde selected three vineyards that produced what they call the most "salivant" wines (salivant roughly translates to mouth-watering). This quality is common with wines that come from granite terroir, hence the name of this cuvée. The area around Dambach-la-Ville is known for a high percentage of granitic soils, so this is very much a Dambach wine. A blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Riesling, it has a faint pink hue, and a fascinating saline/mineral quality. No SO2 added.

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Riesling Dambach

This is another tasty natural white from the Beck-Hartwegs. The Dambach-la-Ville Riesling is comprised of fruit from several eastern-facing parcels on granitic soils. Since the sites have the same soil-type and same exposition, Florian and Mathilde blend them to provide a snapshot of the Dambach terroir expression. There is a very straight and salty acidity here that differs greatly from the Riesling blend (from a combination of soil types). It's fresh, floral, and structured (not tannins, just a type of mineral structure from the granite), with lovely texture in the mid-palate. Prepare yourself... it's ZIPPY!    -EL

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Tout Naturellement Blanc

Tout Naturellement is a fresh and hazy natural white from Florian and Mathilde Beck-Hartweg. A blend of Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Auxerrois, vinified without filtration or addition of SO2. The grapes for this cuvée come from their Laubenhutt vineyard and the lower part of the Plettig vineyard. Laubenhutt is below the Route des Vins and the important hillside vineyards, on a soil that is silty with a bit of granite, and Plettig is a lone hill to the east of the village of Dambach, with silt and clay that provides grapes with more fatness than the granitic sites that are above the town. This is crispy, and fresh, with a bit of salinity blended with ripe orchard fruit. A complex little wine, and though it's cloudy, it's clean and direct, thanks to ample acidity and careful wine-making!  EL

Laurent Barth 2016 Alsace Pinot Noir SO5P164

Laurent Barth 2017 Alsace Racines Métisses

Always around 50% Pinot Auxerrois (fermented separately), with Muscat, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and a touch of Riesling. The idea here is to make a wine that is easy to drink, says Laurent, and he nails it! There's a subtle touch of spice on the palate, with a crystalline minerality in the finish, thanks to the granite soils. Though dry, there is a roundness and ripeness to the wine, which seems typical of similar "edelzwicker" blends of white grapes in Alsace. This should pair nicely with salads, as an apéro, or with mildly spicy dishes.  -EL

Laurent Barth 2017 Alsace Riesling

A friendly Alsace Riesling from Laurent Barth, this wine is a blend of fruit from several different parcels, including a small amount from the granite Schlossberg vineyard. The residual sugar here is usually hovering around 2-3g, making this a pretty classic dry Riesling from the region. Ripe, orchard fruit on the nose, a touch of structure in the mouth (maybe from the Schlossberg granite), and a pleasant finish. It should be a nice accompaniment to fall-time meals.   -EL