Decanter: Alsace Riesling & RS

Interesting article in Decanter on RS in Alsace wines, particularly Riesling:
AlsaceRiesling/RS

I found it interesting in her observation:

And yet they did little to show a family signature of Brand, even though all were from the riesling grape, partly because the residual sugar within the wines on display ranged from totally dry (Josmeyer, with less than 2 grams per litre) to 9 grams per litre (François Baur) and everything in between.

as she tasted thru a bunch of Rieslings from the Brand vnyd. We are told by the wine experts that Riesling displays terroir more than any other variety...yet she was unable to pick up the characteristic terroir of Brand. Whatta klutz!!

And there seems to be some debate amongst the Alsace producers as to whether leaving RS in the wine reveals or masks terroir.

Wasn't aware that Burgundy's Dom.Trapet was making Alsace wines. I wonder if they are charging Burgundy prices for them?? I've never seen them on the shelves.

Back in the old days (by crackey) when I first fell in love w/ Alsace wines, that they were bone-dry was a given. But as the Z-H high-alcohol/low-acidity/some RS style started to take over the Alsace world, one could no longer count on that has a given. It always irritates me when I open an Alsace GWT to go w/ my weenies&kraut and find the RS level so high that I tire of it rapidly. Which is why I look anymore to the AltoAdige for good dry GWT.
Tom

"Which is why I look anymore to the AltoAdige for good dry GWT."

I am with you there all the way Tom. A few years ago I bought a case of Barmes-Buecher Gewurztraminer on the net, the 2011 Rosenberg. It even stated on back label that it was sweet. Too bad the retailer did not include this info. After one bottle, the rest are delegated to my dessert wine section but as such are very nice. I recently resupplied my cellar with Northern Italian Gew. which have been uniformly excellent!

Which is why I look anymore to the AltoAdige for good dry GWT...could not agree more!

[David M. Bueker]

Posted this elsewhere, so might as well copy it here:

Ok Tom, so you are still stirring the pot, but it's pretty clear lately that Brand (and some other Alsace GC vineyards) has lost much of its identity due to climate change. The wines are too rich, to stuffed with RS and too alcoholic to show anything other than a thick mouth feel and sugary aftertaste.

Riesling does show terroir as well or better than any grape, but even Riesling can fall victim to the ravages of climate.

As for Gewurztraminer, I keep trying and trying, and while other regions (e.g. Alto Adige) make nice Gewurztraminer, none of them approach the varietal complexity and aromatic intensity of Alsace. I wish it was not true, but at least to my taste everyone else falls way short.

Posted this elsewhere, so might as well copy it here:

Ok Tom, so you are still stirring the pot, but it's pretty clear lately that Brand (and some other Alsace GC vineyards) has lost much of its identity due to climate change. The wines are too rich, to stuffed with RS and too alcoholic to show anything other than a thick mouth feel and sugary aftertaste.

Shocked...SHOCKED I am, that you'd ever suggest I'd do such a thing!!!

As for Gewurztraminer, I keep trying and trying, and while other regions (e.g. Alto Adige) make nice Gewurztraminer, none of them approach the varietal complexity and aromatic intensity of Alsace. I wish it was not true, but at least to my taste everyone else falls way short.

Well, David...I guess I wouldn't argue that point w/ you, David. The greatest GWT's I've had come
from Alsace. But you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince. When I want a dry/pleasing GWT to go
w/ my weenies & kraut, a simple peasant dish; It's much more reliable to go w/ a $25 AltoAdige GWT
than it is w/ a $60 Z-H GWT. Even compared to the basic Trimbach GWT, I'd still look to the AltoAdige.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

I much prefer the Trimbach yellow label Gewürztraminer over anything I have ever had from the Alto Adige. Their SdR Gewürztraminer is my absolute favorite.