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 Vin d'Alsace Lieu Dit Blettig Pinot Gris

Beck-Hartweg 2016 Vin d'Alsace Lieu Dit Bungertal Gewurztrami

Beck-Hartweg 2016 Vin d'Alsace Riesling

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

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Pinot Noir "F" (Frankstein)

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Granit

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Lieu Dit Bungertal Gewurztrami

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Pinot Noir Dambach

Beck-Hartweg 2017 Vin d'Alsace Riesling Dambach

Beck-Hartweg NV Cremant d'Alsace

Boxler 2004 Alsace Grand Cru Riesling Sommerberg VT Zacharie .5L

Geschickt 2017 Vin d'Alsace Riesling

This is a complex dry Riesling, and truly a fantastic wine for the money. There are layers of tropical fruit (guava, mango) on the nose, spice, floral notes, and a bit of texture on the palate. A touch opaque in the glass, with great texture in mouth and a ethereal finish. I shared this with a number of different people, including some "untrained" wine drinkers, and it was a unanimous hit. It's a very special wine posing as a"basic" Riesling.   ~Eben Lillie

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

Schueller, Bruno 2017 Alsace Pinot Blanc

2017 was a difficult vintage for Bruno with this wine. It is currently showing a very high level of volatile acidity (VA) so we would recommend waiting for 6-12 months before opening. An assemblage from several parcels, mostly on gravel and sandy soil, with some clay and limestone sites as well. Eben

Schueller, Bruno 2017 Alsace Pinot Gris Reserve

From a vineyard of pure limestone, this is an elegant and relatively rich style for Pinot Gris. Bruno doesn't like rich Pinot Gris, and often prefers his basic Pinot Gris to the Reserve in the first 3 or 4 years after bottling, but he says in 5-6 years, the Reserve evolves into a really special wine. Spicy tropical fruit on the nose mix with burnt orange and marmalade. The palate is rich but the limestone soils give the wine cut, and the dryness is evident in the finish. A wine for meditation, and considering Bruno's advice, a good one to age for a few years.    EL

Valentin-Zusslin 2014 Alsace Sylvaner Bollenberg

From the south-facing Bollenberg lieu-dit in Orschwir, a hill that stands apart from the foothills of the Vosges. The soils are iron-rich clays. The vines are farmed biodynamically, the grapes undergo extreme selection before fermentation with native yeasts and aging in large Vosges casks. The 2014 Sylvaner Bollenberg offers enticing aromas of apricot, cool crushed herbs, golden apple skin, and apple blossoms. The palate is fresh and lively, with flavors of perfectly ripe stone fruit, faint tropical notes, a bracing herbaceousness, and an incisively savory finish. The 2014 embodies the charm of Sylvaner, while expressing enough stoniness to captivate the most ardent rock fan. A fine pairing with poached chicken with salsa verde and grand with a ripe triple crème cheese, this would enliven lighter fish preparations and make for a splendid apéritif. John McIlwain