We were lucky to be shown the wines of three well known Alsatian producers.
Marcel Deiss
I have very little experience of this controversial estate, so I jumped at the opportunity. I guess that the presenter was Jean-Michel Deiss’ son, Matthieu. He seemed totally committed to the estate’s 200% terroirist philosophy, even going so far as unwillingness to give the varietal composition of the crus which I was tasting, only remarking that the varieties chosen were those most suited to the site. The first four wines tasted were at least demi-sec in my estimation and the comment was that this was how the balance naturally comes out; to my complaint about pairing difficulty, he answered the estate’s website gives suggestions. The last two were frankly sweet and I preferred them.
On this showing, I must confess to being unconvinced by this approach. The wines were accomplished and there were some interestingly unusual flavours emerging but, in particular, I missed the strong personality of Riesling which IMO has all the purity, terroir reflective ability and complex aromatic character that one can want without blending. Deiss would no doubt say that I need education to break out of the varietal brainwashing.
Langenberg 2007 (€23) showed a lot of tobacco in its aromas and a slightly sweet attractive spiciness of the palate; 15.5/20.
Potenberg 2007 (€29). There was exotic fruit, orange peel and pineapple, here and again a slight sweetness offset by some moreish acidity; 16/20.
Schoffweg 2007 (€32) was quite sweet with good acid balance; 15.5/20.
Gruenspiel 2004 (€26) also showed a lot of orange peel and pineapple but more tension and backbone than some of the previous; 16/20++.
Huebuhl 2005 (€29) was frankly sweet with attractive notes of ginger evidence of botrytis and good balancing grip; 16.5/20.
Altenberg de Bergheim grand cru 2006(€56) was again frankly sweet and showed greater depth and refinement than any of the others with excellent acid balance; 17/20.
Domaine Weinbach
These three wines showed what I felt was missing in those of Deiss, namely sharply delineated and focussed varietal character coupled with refinement, subjective dryness (though not bone dry) and therefore great food friendliness. Catherine Faller seemed to be keen that I should return and say this to Deiss but the crowd was dissuasive. No prices were given here but I guess that they are higher than Dirler-Cadé’s and close to Deiss’.
Riesling grand cru Schlossberg 2009 was fresh, mineral and focussed underpinned by white fruit and decent “gras”; elegant 16.5/20+.
Pinot Gris Cuvée Sainte-Catherine 2008 had an unusual Riesling touch on the nose coupled with some more usual unctuousness and notes of grilled bacon. The palate had more tension and lively acidity than common with PG which IMO enhanced the richness; some RS was there but the wine was quite dry seeming; 16.5/20++.
Gewurtztraminer Cuvée Théo 2008 had the usual spicy lychee notes but allied to an uncommon freshness, refinement and backbone; 17/20.
Domaine Dirler-Cadé
This is another fine estate, though the wines, particularly the PG and Gewurz, were not quite as refined as those from Weinbach. Some people may prefer that. Three of the following came from the Kessler site and two from Saering; Deiss would probably have blended the varieties to make one cuvée from each site but I really doubt whether the result would be so good.
Muscat grand cru Saering 2009 (€14,50) is one of the finest dry Muscats I know. This vintage showed strong aromatics with ginger and lychee coming out coupled with great freshness and minerality; 16/20+.
Riesling grand cru Saering 2008 (€18,50) had 9g RS but was dry seeming due to the acid balance. The nose was quite subdued but there was good aromatic expression on the palate, tension, salinity, minerality and length; 16.5/20.
Riesling grand cru Kessler 2008 (€20) also had 9g RS and was dry seeming. It was fruitier and deeper than the previous but in no way lacking in tension and grip; 16.5/20+.
Pinot Gris grand cru Kessler 2008 (€17) had 39g RS but I would never had guessed it because of the mouth watering acidity which made it seem barely demi-sec. The overall effect was rich and complex but without quite the tension and refinement of Weinbach’s; 16/20++.
Gewurztraminer grand cru Kessler VT 2008 was quite sweet with generous lychee but less precision and backbone than Weinbach’s drier version; 15.5/20++.
Gewurztraminer grand cru Kessler VT 2007 (€28), 95g RS, was rich and complex with greater freshness than the 2008 and notes more reminiscent of rose and pineapple; 16/20+.
Part 3 will deal with Guffens-Heynen, Verget and some fine QPR offerings from Les Fils de René Quénard (Savoie).