Wine & Spirits - December 2013 - (Page 76)

YEAR'S BEST ALSACE Our blind panels tasted 166 new-release Alsace wines over the past 12 months. Joshua Greene, our critic for Alsace, rated 23 as exceptional (90+) and 7 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. 90 | Cave de Ribeauvillé S PA RK L I N G 191254 $42 Crémant d'Alsace Brut Blanc de Blancs ^ With its pale, leesy scents and clean pear flavors, this blend of chardonnay and pinot blanc is zesty and crisp. Target its refreshing acidity at clams on the half shell. § Vintage '59 Imports, Washington, DC 2012 Alsace Vieilles Vignes Gewurztra miner ^ An elegant gewurztraminer, this accents plump peach and kumquat flavors with floral scents of rosewater. The fruit is fleshy and generous, almost sparkling with acidity, a combination that will meld beautifully with Cantonese seafood feasts. § Serge Doré Selections, Chappaqua, NY W HI T E MUSCAT GEWURZTRAMINER 90 | Meyer-Fonné 90 | Domaine Pfister $30 93 | Gustave Lorentz $60 2007 Alsace Grand Cru Altenberg de Berg heim Vieilles Vignes Gewurztraminer ^ The golden color implies the depth of flavor in this delicious gewurz. Scents of apple blossoms add complexity to its restrained aroma, layering quince over tart apple, creamy pear and pale vanilla flavors. It has the crispness of fresh-picked fruit, its fullness of flavor focused on complexity. This grows in a rocky mix including Jurassic limestone, rich in fossils. § Quintessential, Napa, CA 191385 92 | René Muré PINOT BL ANC 90 | Cave de Ribeauvillé $55 2011 Alsace Terroirs Gewurztraminer ^ For all its cushioned richness and its flavors of orange cream and vanilla, this holds a zestiness and pungency that keeps it fragrant and bright. There's a fruit-skin depth to the structure, suited to roast veal. § Serge Doré Selections, Chappaqua, NY 192260 DECEMBER 2013 $44 90 | Hospices de Colmar $26 $35 2011 Alsace Grand Cru Mambourg Pinot Gris ^ A voluptuous 2011, this wine's creamy, pear-like fruit has accents of Rainier cherries and tangerine. It tightens up in the finish, with acidity creating a mouthwatering contrast to all the generous fruit. For a veal roast. § Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA 192117 2011 Alsace Pinot Gris (Best Buy) ^ This is honeyed and as spicy as a gewurz, its smoky fruit lasting on baked apple notes and the floral delicacy of fresh cream. Concentrated, complex and hedonistic in style, this will complement smoked trout with pickled mushrooms. § Advantage Int'l. Distributors, Miami, FL 191857 2011 Alsace Barriques Pinot Gris ^ Andre Ostertag farms these vines on clay, gravel and schist, creating a tight, savory white that should grow up well with a few years in bottle. For now, it has floral notes of rose petals and the crisp bitterness of apple skin, and lasts on savory herbal scents, like chamomile. § Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA $57 2011 Alsace Clos StLandelin Grand Cru Vendanges Tardives Gewurztraminer ^ The sweetness of this wine is in check, tasting like fresh, ripe fruit with smoky notes of earthiness. Candied lemon-peel scents heighten the flavors, a blend of orange, lime and kumquat. A complex wine for the dinner table, this would work well with crab. § Robert Kacher Selections, NY 192259 WINE & SPIRITS $23 2011 Alsace Vignoble de Katzenthal Mus cat ^ Bright stone fruit flavors of peach and nectarine layer this white with sweetly ripe fruit. There's a spicy undercurrent of acidity to keep it tart. A sophisticated muscat for a chicken and apple salad. § Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA 92 | Pierre Sparr 90 | Domaine Ostertag 191861 191848 skin notes and soil inflections. A comforting white for a spicy braised pork shoulder. § Maisons Marques & Domaines USA, Oakland, CA 192497 191861 85 | Dom. Schlumberger $14 2011 Alsace Les Princes Abbés Pinot Blanc (Best Buy) ^ A soft and simple white with enough grape skin character to lend flavor depth, this is a versatile aperitif. § Maisons Marques & Domaines USA, Oakland, CA PINOT GRIS 191867 90 | Domaine Weinbach 191414 92 | Dom. Schlumberger $30 2010 Alsace Grand Cru Kessler Pinot Gris ^ From the sandstone soils of this vineyard facing east-southeast, this wine needs a day of air to show its detailed flavors. Immediately bold and juicy, it develops a sophisticated layering of peach flavor out of the green grape $48 2011 Alsace Clos des Capucins Cuvée Ste. Catherine Pinot Gris ^ Round and creamy, this wine's green pear-skin bitterness cuts through its succulent fruit flavors. It tastes like a fresh, juicy pear, a generous white to chill for roast pork with fennel. § Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.mmdusa.net/Domaines-Schlumberger/index http://www.domaineweinbach.com/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2013

Wine & Spirits - December 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Acid Trips
The Great Whiskey Shortage of 2013
Spirits
Gadgets and Gi
New Destinations
Where to Eat & Drink in Seattle
Turning Champagne into Wine
Barolo & Formaggio
Douro, No Apologies
Walla Walla Cabernet
The Best for $10 or Less
Overview
Champagne
US Sparkling Wine
US Cabernet Sauvignon
Alsace
German Riesling
2011 Vintage Port
Barolo & Barbaresco
Rioja
US New Releases
International New Releases
Wine & Spirits Top 100

Wine & Spirits - December 2013