The wines of Mathis Bastian, Luxembourg

The wines of Domaine Mathis Bastian, Luxembourg
Top-notch Alsace-style wines from one of Luxembourg's top wineries

Website: www.mathisbastian.lu

This was an interesting tasting: it's not every day you taste high quality wines from Luxembourg presented by two striking looking twin sisters.

Anouk Bastian is a fourth generation winemaker. Both her and her twin sister Nadine studied in Strasbourg, and Anouk studied oenology for a year in Champagne, before joining the family domaine a decade ago. The family domaine has just shy of 14 hectares of vines.

The wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel. 'We prefer stainless steel to have the fruity character of the grapes,' says Anouk. Yields are also reasonably high: for example, the Riesling is harvested at 60 hectolitres/hectare, and the average yield is 72 hl/ha. I asked whether they ever go any lower. 'No, we have to live from it,' replies Anouk.

It's hard not to draw parallels with the wines of Alsace – the geography and grape varieties seem to make this a sensible comparison. I found these wines consistently rewarding, and even the Pinot Noir was really good!

THE WINES

Mathis Bastian Rivaner Vin Classe 2011 Luxembourg
Lively, pure and fruity with a lemony, appley nose. Very fresh with some blackcurrant bud notes. Just off-dry with lovely fruitiness on the palate. Melon and pear with good concentration and a rounded character. 10 g/l residual sugar. 89/100

Mathis Bastian Riesling Grand Premier Cru Remich Primerberg 2010 Luxembourg
Fresh and assertive with nice depth. Slightly smoky, mineral core with citrus and melon fruit, and an appley edge. Crisp acid and lovely fruitiness. 90/100

Mathis Bastian Auxerrois Domaine et Tradition 2007 Luxembourg
Rounded, rich and textured with honeyed melony fruit and nice depth, with some sweetness. Soft texture in the mouth with a bit of spice. Nice acidity: a ripe style with soft fruit. 11 g/l residual sugar. 91/100

Mathis Bastian Riesling Domaine et Tradition 2010 Luxembourg
Fine, precise, mineral and fresh. Nice concentration of citrus and grapefruit characters, with some floral notes. Taut, dry and mineral. 91/100

Mathis Bastian Pinot Gris Domaine et Tradition 2010 Luxembourg
Tight, fresh and a bit smoky with some mineral notes. Fresh, rounded and grapey with subtle honey character. Crisp, linear and precise. 89/100

Mathis Bastian Pinot Noir Domaine et Tradition 2010 Luxembourg
65 hl/ha yields. Very pure, lively and fresh with rounded cherry fruit. Zippy and fresh with some sappy green notes, but the key signature here is the joyful cherry fruit. 90/100