WTN: Alsatian Oldie

WTN: 1997 Domaine Weinbach Tokay Pinot Gris, Cuvee Laurence - France, Alsace (March 30 and 31, 2007)

I'd informed the WLDG some time ago that I'd found a bottle of this in the sale bin on a local retailer. I took an eighteen-dollar chance on it; here are the results: Honey and oak bouquet. On the palate, this is surprisingly sweet with honey and grapefruit flavors reminiscent of a desert wine. A bit of salty minerality. The sweetness lends a lot of weight and richness. The finish is of moderate length and is characterised by an annoying little bite.

Alcohol per the label is 13.5%. I found this too sweet and heavy for my tastes - perhaps a fair amount of RS?. Not sure what the house style is. No vendage tardive statement on the label. Ah well, an interesting education!

Thanks to Randy B., Dave E., John S., Eric I., and Tim Y. for feedback to my first posting on this.

Dave Mo

1997 was a very ripe year and Pinot Gris can tend to the very ripe. Not suprised there is some residual sweetness. Weinbach tends to the sleek and elegant. I think the sweetness and heaviness is a function of the vintage.

Thanks, Eric. I'm finishing off the bottle this evening (Day 3), and it is showing much better (i.e., the bitterness has all but disappeared, a bit more mineral complexity is coming through, and the overall balance is striking). Perhaps all it needed was very extensive decant!

Dave Mo

Weinbach tends to the sleek and elegant.

Really? I admit I haven't tasted many, but the reason I haven't searched for more is that they tend to be too heavy for my tastes! I would have thought it a combination of house style and vintage and grape which caused the initial over-the-top feel to the wine. Their VT GC Schlossberg 2004 is so far the only wine of theirs that I would like to own. Well ... maybe also their delectable Sylvaner. But otherwise I find them impressive but ponderous and heavy.

A long introduction, but I finally get to the matter: who then do you consider to make heavy wines in Alsace? I find Weinbach to be on the same level of heavyness as Zind-Humbrecht! Sleek and elegant bring to my mind producers like Trimbach.

-O-

Otto, I had the same thought as you, though I wouldn't go as far as to compare Weinbach to ZH.

My thoughts are: Trimbach is elegant, Weinbach is buxom and Zind-Humbrecht is bruising.

Best,
Joe

The nice discussion on style here is much appreciated, Otto, Joe and Eric. I've been tempted to futher explore Alsatian wines but had no stylistic guideline until now.

Frankly, I'd hoped that my tasting note on the Weinbach would have quickly worked its way down the WLDG page; to my chagrine, I realized that I had misspelled "Alsatian" in the subject line. Perhaps Jenise or Robin would kindly correct it for me? Thanks!

Dave Mo

[Jenise]

Got it, Dave. Btw, now that we're on that topic, it's 'oldie', not 'oldy'. I'll fix both.

[David M. Bueker]

Frankly, I'd hoped that my tasting note on the Weinbach would have quickly worked its way down the WLDG page;

Don't feel bad Dave. I spent a half hour typing up my notes from Saturday's dinner & they're sliding down the page. I took care of it for you.

I share the same thoughts on Weinbach as Joe and Otto.

As a side issue, perhaps this is why I'm tending to prefer German Riesling's more these days. The better German producer's (or perhaps read "my preferred style of German producer") often deliver a seamless balance between weight, sugar, acid, line and length. These wines are rarely cloying, can display daunting complexity, are usually light on their feet and tend to last and last. I've tried Weinbach on quite a few occasions, both young and old and never have been blown away by one (as yet). Recent reported trends of Alsace producing sweeter, bigger, richer, flabbier styles with lower acidity and higher alcohol levels does not impress me one bit.

David, do not forget Rieslings from Austria!!!

David, do not forget Rieslings from Austria!!!

Haven't been there yet, Bob, but must do before the pancreas packs it in ......

[David M. Bueker]

David, do not forget Rieslings from Austria!!!

Haven't been there yet, Bob, but must do before the pancreas packs it in ......

Austrians are easier on the pancreas. (although alcohol is sugar to the body...)

My thoughts are: Trimbach is elegant, Weinbach is buxom and Zind-Humbrecht is bruising.

I would call Trimbach lean and racy; though I love the style and own more Trimbach than any other Alsace or German Riesling. To me Weinbach is elegant, but mainly have their wines from the 90's. Zind-Humbrecht is big and rich, but again, mainly have 95, 96's, and their late harvest SGN's.

My thoughts are: Trimbach is elegant, Weinbach is buxom and Zind-Humbrecht is bruising.

I don't have a lot of experience in Alsace and I'd be interested to learn where folks think the following producers fit in the stylistic typology developing in this thread: Marc Kreydenweiss, Schoffit, Marcel Deiss (or is Deiss too sui generis to fit in?)

I don't have a lot of experience in Alsace and I'd be interested to learn where folks think the following producers fit in the stylistic typology developing in this thread: Marc Kreydenweiss, Schoffit, Marcel Deiss (or is Deiss too sui generis to fit in?)

Deiss is weird. They tend to be too weighty and have no semblance of terroir nor varietal characteristics left in them. I don't like them. I don't like a ponderous style, but Deiss's wines are not only ponderous, they are muddled as well. I can't comment on the other two because I haven't tasted enough.

-O-

Dave,

When you posted your earlier note, I thought that I had finished my 1997 Weinbach Tokays and opined that they would in any case be over the top.

However, I found this when taking out a Riesling Schlossberg II the other day -

TOKAY PINOT GRIS 1997 - Domaine Weinbach (my cellar book says Cuvée Laurence but the label does not).

Absolutely delicious with equally delicious asparagus. Distinctly sweet but superbly rich and long (I can still taste it 45 minutes after dinner) and harmonious with complex slightly liqueur-like flavours and a burnished elegant distinction which I find it hard to describe; perhaps, if Puligny-Montrachet were a little sweet, it would be like this. Absolutely ripe but no suggestion of decline or bitterness on the finish which you found on the first night.

Taken together with my improving impression of Riesling Schlossberg, it seems as if I have condemned the Weinbach 1997 offerings prematurely.