The wines of Leon Beyer, Alsace

Léon Beyer
Visiting France's Alsace wine region, part 10

2 Rue de la 1ere Armée, 68420 Eguisheim
Website: www.leonbeyer.fr

The Beyer family have been wine-growers in Eguisheim since 1580, but the current firm was founded in 1867 by Emile Beyer. The Léon in the name was his son, who was succeeded by his son, also named Léon, in 1959. Currently in charge are Léon the second’s son Marc and grandson Yann.

Eguisheim is a beautiful village, oozing history and tradition, and Léon Beyer are arch traditionalists, making potentially long lived wines in a lean, dry style. They have some 20 hectares of vines in Eguisheim and its surroundings, and also buy from some growers (around 50 hectares of vines are contracted in addition to their own holdings). Many of their vines are in the village’s two Grand Crus, Eichberg and Pfersigberg, but this is not marked on the label.

The focus here is on gastronomic wines, and everything is fermented to dryness. Typically, large foudres are used, without temperature control. They are wines that require time to show their best (as the 1985 demonstrates), and Léon Beyer have large underground cellars where they are able to hold wines back, so typically they’ll be able to offer a number of back vintages to the market at any one time (current release is 2007). And don’t you just love the traditional labels?

THE WINES

Léon Beyer Riesling Cuvée des Comtes d’Eguisheim 2010 Alsace, France
Lively, intense and very fruity. Limey, pure and dry with some mineral notes. 90/100

Léon Beyer Riesling R de Beyer 2010 Alsace, France
Precise, vivid, clean and pure with lovely citrus, pear and spice notes. Concentrated and quite dry. 93/100

Léon Beyer Riesling R de Beyer 2009 Alsace, France
Ripe, textured sweet fruit with a hint of mineral and some herby notes. Some marmalade, too. 91/100

Léon Beyer Riesling Cuvée des Comtes d’Eguisheim 2008 Alsace, France
Precise, dry, fruity and mineral with lovely citrus and pear fruit. Nice finesse here with hints of wax and honey. Classy stuff. 92/100

Léon Beyer Riesling R de Beyer 2008 Alsace, France
Very fresh and linear with a hint of lanolin and wax, as well as notes of citrus and pear. A dry, mineral style with nice acidity. 92/100

Léon Beyer Riesling Cuvée des Comtes d’Eguisheim 2007 Alsace, France
This is the current release. Lively, fresh and vivid with a creamy edge to the pure, dry tangerine, pear and lemon fruit. Nice depth. 93/100

Léon Beyer Pinot Gris Cuvée des Comtes d’Eguisheim 2007 Alsace, France
Bone dry style. Nutty and herby with some toast, grapes and citrus characters. Rounded, broad and nutty. Satisfying and warm. 90/100

Léon Beyer Gewurztraminer Cuvée des Comtes d’Eguisheim 2007 Alsace, France
Ripe, grapey lychee nose is quite perfumed. Dry palate with rounded, honeyed, nutty characters and some pear and melon fruit. Quite delicious. 93/100

Léon Beyer Riesling Cuvée des Comtes d’Eguisheim 1985 Alsace, France
Limey, mineral, slightly petrolly nose with some wax and herb notes. The palate is taut, dry and clean with citrus, herbs and minerals. Amazing presence here: so fine and expressive. Lovely mineral, citrus finish. 95/100

VISITING ALSACE
Part 1, Paul Blanck
Part 2, Clement Klur
Part 3, Schlumberger
Part 4, Zind Humbrecht
Part 5, Albert Boxler
Part 6, Dirler-Cadé
Part 7, Josmeyer
Part 8, Weinbach
Part 9, Hugel
Part 10, Léon Beyer

Wines tasted 06/14
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com

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