Wine Focus for May: The wines of Alsace!

2011 Mader Riesling, Alsace. Labeled at 13.5% abv. Available for under $20 a bottle. (Mader also produces a Riesling from the Grand Cru Rosacker Vineyard that is price around $25-$30.) This had surface bubbles when first poured but those soon dissipated. Golden color with clarity and transparency. This wine had some petrol and pear and maybe some guava and floral notes. I think this might be a good pairing with mild fish such as trout, sole, or halibut. Quite pleasurable. Would I purchase again--possibly.

Later this month I will open a Jean Albrecht Gewurztraminer--wonder if it is the same vintage Walter Nissen bought?

2007 Klipfel Cuvee Louis Klipfel Gewurztraminer with spicey asparagus chicken last night and this wine is holding up very well for a not-GC Alsatian wine. Lots of rose petal and spicey pear on the nose and palate with fine acidity to balance. Color is deep straw and abv of 13% $19 in Ohio, probably much less elsewhere.

Alsace Grand Cru Kastelberg Riesling 1996 – Marc Kreydenweiss, Andlau, Alsace – Alc.12.5%.

This was my last bottle of three. I can't find any TNs on the previous two but have found one on a 1997, which predictably was quite different.

Colour was a deepening gold with slight green tints. The first whiff on the nose from a clean glass was a delight with subdued white fruit mingled with acacia, spices and minerals showing saline and traces of the usual hydrocarbon touches; later on, the oils on the glass's rim from the food which I was eating added an element which detracted from the bouquet. The subjectively bone dry palate was medium/full bodied, aromatically expressive and long with a nice roundness which provided excellent balance for the crisp acidic spine typical of 1996. It showed no signs of incipient decline and was much more to my taste (and easier to pair with food) than the sweeter and more baroque 1997. Very good.

2011 Selbach-Oster Dry Pinot Blanc ( no stars) although not Alsatian pretty close and the varietal works. This wine was very nice mostly because of the wonderful acidity. The fruit was of non-spicey pear, color of light straw, and the acidity was just shy of spritzy and wonderfully cleasnsing. I would love to try their * bottling. abv of 13%

Drank a 2011 Maximin Grunhauser Weissburgunder a few weeks ago, nice but kind of forgettable especially for the price. Not many interesting Alsace wines in the local market.

2009 Jean Albrecht Gewurztraminer - Undistinguished white fruit on the nose and an almost Riesling petrol note in the mouth, with some hints of lychee and an occasional IPA-like hoppy note. Somewhat flabby acidity leads to a bitter lychee-mineral, but not unpleasant, finish. Improved with food, a spicy chicken and vegetable char-grilled 'stir-fry'. However, nowhere near the quality and enjoyability of the Trimbach Gewurztraminers I've had in the past.

2010 Jean Albrecht Gewurztraminer Reserve, Alsace. 13% abv. Synthetic cork. Marked at 7 or 8 on a scale of sweetness. Color of burnished gold. Notes of botrytis, honey, marmalade, petrol, and honeysuckle. I actually liked this better on the fourth day. It was too sweet to pair with the entree of broiled chicken thigh so I had it on its own after dinner.

2010 Jean Albrecht Gewurztraminer Reserve, Alsace. 13% abv. Synthetic cork. Marked at 7 or 8 on a scale of sweetness. Color of burnished gold. Notes of botrytis, honey, marmalade, petrol, and honeysuckle. I actually liked this better on the fourth day. It was too sweet to pair with the entree of broiled chicken thigh so I had it on its own after dinner.

Sounds like this was better than my 2009.

2011 Selbach-Oster Dry Pinot Blanc ( no stars) although not Alsatian pretty close and the varietal works. This wine was very nice mostly because of the wonderful acidity. The fruit was of non-spicey pear, color of light straw, and the acidity was just shy of spritzy and wonderfully cleasnsing. I would love to try their * bottling. abv of 13%

I've never had a Selbach pinot blanc. I bet it would be interesting.

• 2012 Gustave Lorentz Riesling Fleurelle - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (5/29/2014)
  Screwcap. Fresh, balanced petrol aroma, otherwise simple. Dry. For $16 I'd expect a lot more. Good.
  
• 2013 Maison Martin Jund Gewurztraminer "Cuvee Sainte-Cecile" - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (5/26/2014)
  Lovely aroma jumps out of the glass. Off-dry, but with plenty of acidity. Not a ton of complexity, but I could drink this all day. Very Good.
  
• NV Maison Martin Jund Crémant d'Alsace Brut - France, Alsace, Crémant d'Alsace (5/26/2014)
  A little sweet, not much in the way of yeasty or fruit notes. Pretty neutral, but nice bubbles and reasonable acid. Good.
  

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I like the label on that Sainte Cecile. Thanks for posting.

I like the label on that Sainte Cecile. Thanks for posting.

Cecile is his sister! I guess she was always the good one growing up.

One last post, for the waning hours of May.
2012 Navarro Vineyards Edelzwicker - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (5/31/2014)
53% Pinot Gris, 36% Gewürztraminer, 9 % Riesling and 2% Muscat. Though it's not complex in the traditional sense, it has what I like to call "arc" where each sip is a journey. The gewürz aromas are very strong at first, but there's a rich leesiness backing them, and then the acidity of the riesling kicks in, before the off-dry (1.6%) finish. It's just pleasant to drink, by itself, or with broiled fish and corn picked this morning and grilled in the husk. $15 retail, and even cheaper with a case discount and free shipping, it's one of my perennial purchases. Very Good+.


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