Susan & I tried last night:
1. Dom.Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Terroir d'Alsace Turkheim AC: Alsace VinSec (13.5%) 2009: Med.gold color; strong minerrally/flinty/granitic light floral/R light fusel oil/gout de petrol rather tight/restrained lovely nose; totally dry very tart/acid/austere quite mineral/flinty/granite/stoney light floral/R/fusel oil lean almnost hurtey flavor; long lean/austere/tart/screechy quite flinty/mineral/granite/stoney light floral/R/valve oil quite tangy/grapefruity bit screechy finish; a very old-timey/old-style/non Z-H R that will go out 10-20 yrs; more like a Mosel Kabinett than an Alsace, particularly a Z-H Riesling. Too bad about the price. $31.50 (KK)
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2. Schlosskellerei Gobelsburg Gobelsburger Riseling Kamptal Trocken (12.5%) 2011: Light yellow color; very attractive mineral/earthy slight valve-oil quite fragrant/R/floral/pineapple rather perfumed nose; tart fairly rich/pineapply/floral/R/spicy light mineral/earthy flavor; very long R/floral/pineapple light mineral/earthy tart fairly rich finish; needs 2-8 yrs; quite a lovely R that blows away the Z-H...but not 10-15 yrs down the road, though.
$16.50
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Z-H: I learned to love Alsace Riesling/GWT/Tokay d'Alsace back in the '70's. They were usually my "go to" wine when I wanted something good to drink and that didn't break the bank.
And then.....along came Z-H in the mid-'80's. They started harvesting later and making wines w/ lower acidity/higher alcohol/big fruit & extraction/often w/ slight or a lot of RS. Exactly the kind of wines that elicit huge scores from Monktown attourneys. OlivierHumbrecht was labeled a "genius" winemaker. The prices soon doubled/tripled/quadrapuled. Other Alsace winemakers saw the big scores the Z-H wines received and soon followed suit in adopting that Z-H style. The old-timey (and cheap) Alsace style of wines became a thing of the past. Western civilization as we know it crumbled. It is now difficult/impossible to find that kind of wine from Alsace any more. Trimbach is probably best source of these old-timey Alsace wines.
Back in the '70's, when it came to buying Alsace Riesling; my rule of thumb was the higher the acidity/the more austere & hurtey it was on the palate; the greater the wine would be with age. Many of them (Trimbach, Dopff au Moulin, BottFreres, Hugel, Willm) easily went out 15-20 yrs and developed that beautiful gout de petrol character of a great Mosel. And did I mention they were cheap.
It's not that I don't like the Z-H wines. They are powerful/fruit-driven wines that are a pleasure to drink. But they're not the kind of Alsatian wine I find pairs well with a good weenies&kraut or a Tarte d'Alsacienne. They are usually a pleasure from the get-go. But I seldom find they make that dramatic improvement w/ btl age that the old-timey Rieslings used to do. Ohhhh...I miss those wines (punched cards/slide rules/bell bottoms, too).
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2. Z-H: Despite my lack of enthusiasm for Z-H wines, I usually try to keep abreast of what they're doing. This Terroir d'Alsace label was one I'd never done see'd before from Z-H. So I felt compelled to try it..but w/ low expectations....given the 13.5% alcohol..certain it would be low acid, probably w/ some RS...because of it's low (relative for Z-H) price. Holy Toledo (Kansas colloquialism for Holy $hit)....this was not your usual Z-H Riesling. It had a very high acidity. Totally dry w/ no RS. Alcohol not at all obvioous. Tasted of mineral/granite/stone. This is definitely an old-time Alsace Riesling. It is not a wine that will garnish huge scores from Monktown attourneys. They (Z-H) will be accused of letting their yields get out of hand.
Did I like the wine?? Not particularly..it was pretty hurtey on the palate. It did not go well w/ the grilled bread cheese and apricot membrillo. But it was a wine that brought tears to my eyes..an Alsatian Riesling like I used to drink. I have no doubt that this wine will get dramatically better over 10-15-20 yrs in the btl.
So.....kudos to Z-H for at least allowing us Alsatian Riesling lovers the option of an old-time Alsace wine. Western civilization has been saved.
Tom