Marks & Spencer Gewürztraminer Cuvée
Particulière 2005 Alsace, France
From
Cave de Turckheim. Rich exotic nose of grapes, spice and lychee. The
palate is soft and rounded with a spicy, grapey character. Quite rich and
full. There’s some melony richness here as well as a refreshingly fruity
finish. 87/100 (£6.99 Marks & Spencer) 03/07
Sainsbury’s Taste the difference Alsace Gewürztraminer
2004
From Cave de Turckheim. A really fruity example of this
grape variety with a sweet, honeyed, grapey nose. There’s a bit of
muskiness to the palate, which is off-dry. Nice. 87/100 (£6.99 Sainsbury)
03/07
Cave
de Turckheim Gewürztraminer Grand Cru Brand 2002 Alsace
Yellow/gold colour. Lovely sweet perfumed nose of honey, apricots,
sweet lychees and spice. The palate is fat and viscous with sweet melon
and lychee fruit. It’s concentrated and bold, with acidity and spice
balancing the sweetness well. A sweet Gewürz of real class. Very
good/excellent 93/100 (£13.99 Morrisons) 01/07
Domaine
Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Herrenweg 2000 Alsace, France
Deep yellow colour. Exciting nose is open and perfumed with grape and
lychee aromas. The palate is viscous, peachy and melony. Quite delicious:
really nice balance here (42 g/litre residual sugar)—a fantastic wine.
Very good/excellent 93/100 (£16.99 Tesco) 03/06
Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 2000
Alsace, France
A cuvée that was first made in my birth year, and which is usually
one of Alsace’s best Rieslings each vintage. It has a lovely fresh but
delicate nose that’s perfumed and limey with some sweet notes, too. The
palate shows lovely concentration of ripe, sweet lemony Riesling fruit
(but with only 2.9 g/l residual sugar. The fruit sweetness gives a plump
impression. A complex, delicious wine. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£23.99
Tesco) 04/06
Cave Ribeauvillé Tokay Pinot Gris 2002 Alsace,
France
Initially obscured by a touch of sulphur, the nose opens up to reveal
appealing, rich honeyed fruit with an appley, smoky edge. The palate is
dry but with a richness to it, and shows broad fruity flavours with a
suggestion of some spice. Good typicity here: well made, plenty of flavour
and in a dry style. A useful food wine. Very good+ 87/100 (£5.99
Majestic) 02/05
Albert
Mann Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst 2002 Alsace, France
30
g/litre residual sugar. Very ripe, sweet open nose with lovely typicity.
The palate is rich textured with concentrated, soft, sweet fruit showing
melon and pear notes. Lovely. Very good/excellent 94/100 (£16.50 Waitrose)
04/05
Albert
Mann Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Furstentum Vieilles Vignes 2002 Alsace,
France
32
g/l residual sugar. Perfumed but savoury lychee nose. Intense,
concentrated palate is rich textured with lots of sweetness. Perfectly
balanced. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£17.50 Waitrose) 04/05
Albert
Mann Tokay Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobiles Altenbourg ‘Le Tri’
2001 Alsace, France
Intense,
sweet spicy nose of complex peach and apricot. Super-sweet intense palate
with amazing fatness, richness and length. Great balance despite the
sweetness: a remarkable wine. 135 g/l residual sugar, 7.3 g/l total
acidity, 12.3 % alcohol. Excellent 95/100 (£35 Waitrose) 04/05
Gérard
Neumayer Tokay Pinot Gris Coteaux des Chatreux 2002 Alsace, France
Tight
but appealing nose of honeyed, smoky fruit with a sweet herby character.
There are some savoury straw-like notes as well. The palate is dense with
a spicy edge to the rich-textured fruit. Good acidity keeps things fresh
while a slightly sweet fruity character provides plumpness and weight on
the palate. Just off dry, but savoury enough to be very food compatible.
Lovely fresh finish. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£11.99 Cadman Fine
Wines) 03/05
Albert
Mann Pinot Blanc Auxerrois 2002 Alsace
Fresh,
open, fruity and grapey with a slightly sweet honeyed character and subtle
herbiness. Fresh and grapey with a bit of spice too. Overall this is dry
but there’s some sweetness to the fruit. Impressive and expressive with
great balance. Very good/excellent 90/100 (Oddbins £9.99) 05/04
Albert
Mann Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst 2002 Alsace, France
30
g/litre residual sugar. Very ripe, sweet open nose with lovely typicity.
The palate is rich textured with concentrated, soft, sweet fruit showing
melon and pear notes. Lovely. Very good/excellent 94/100 (£16.50 Waitrose)
04/05
Albert
Mann Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Furstentum Vieilles Vignes 2002 Alsace,
France
32
g/l residual sugar. Perfumed but savoury lychee nose. Intense,
concentrated palate is rich textured with lots of sweetness. Perfectly
balanced. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£17.50 Waitrose) 04/05
Albert
Mann Tokay Pinot Gris Selection de Grains Nobiles Altenbourg ‘Le Tri’
2001 Alsace, France
Intense,
sweet spicy nose of complex peach and apricot. Super-sweet intense palate
with amazing fatness, richness and length. Great balance despite the
sweetness: a remarkable wine. 135 g/l residual sugar, 7.3 g/l total
acidity, 12.3 % alcohol. Excellent 95/100 (£35 Waitrose) 04/05
Trimbach Frederic Emile Riesling 1998 Alsace
Quite a rich nose with some marmaladey notes added to the lime.
Perfumed. The palate is rich with nice limey complexity. Quite rich and
expressive. Very good/excellent 92/100 03/04
Hugel Tradition 2001 Alsace, France
A blend of Pinots Blanc and Gris with Gewürztraminer. Interesting
nose is grapey and smoky with some floral elements and a hint of
sweetness. The palate is dry and herby with good acidity and nice balance.
A tiny bit harsh on the finish but a great introduction to the wines of
Alsace and very food friendly. Very good+ 86 (£6.49 Sainsbury, Oddbins)
04/03
Trimbach Riesling 1998 Alsace, France
A slightly lemony high acid white, very fresh still despite its age. Crisp
and uncomplicated, this is a nice food wine but it doesn’t justify a
price tag of around £10. Very good 84 08/03
Weinbach Riesling Grand Cru Schossberg ‘Clos des
Capucins’ 1999 Alsace
Striking nose is limey with a savoury streak. The palate is savoury
and intense with a limey edge and some weight. Relatively evolved. Very
good+ 86/100 09/03
Josmeyer Gewürztraminer Classique 2001 Alsace
Jean Meyer has made a nicely poised Gewürz here: it has an intense,
herby grapey nose with a striking limey character. The palate is richly
fruited with a rounded character and a nice savoury twist. Very good+
88/100 (Waitrose £9.99) 04/03
J-P and J-F Becker Riesling Lerchenberg 2001 Alsace
This organic Alsace wine is delicious, with rich fruit showing a
lemony edge and a delicate structure on the palate. Impeccable
balance. Very good+ 88/100
09/03
Domaine Zind Humbrecht Zind 2001 Vin de Table, Alsace
A Vin de Table because of its Chardonnay content (35%), which is
complemented by Auxerrois and Pinot Blanc, from the top vineyards of
Rotenberg, Herrenweg and Clos Windsbuhl. Fermented with natural yeasts
in cask. Deep coloured. Lovely rich, grassy, herby nose is intense and
full. The palate is lively and concentrated with a huge weight of rich
herbal fruit. Savoury with lovely acidity and a bit of residual sugar
to add richness, although the overall effect is dry. Very
good/excellent 91/100 (£13 Waitrose) 09/03
Dopff au Moulin Riesling
Grand Cru Schoenenbourg de Riquewihr 1999 Alsace
Sweet honeyed, spicy nose shows a slightly limey edge. Good
concentration on the palate, where the spicy, limey fruit is countered
nicely by some residual sugar, which adds weight and richness of texture.
An attractive wine, flattered a little perhaps by the sweetness. Very
good+ 01/03
Jean Heywang Klevner de
Heiligenstein 1998 Alsace
Sophisticated spicy, herby nose with a perfumed honey and floral
character. The palate is dry and midweight, with good acid and a delicate
texture. Some signs of maturity with a slightly coffee-ish edge. Very
good+ 01/03
Jean Heywang Klevener de Heiligenstein 1998, Alsace
The Klevener is a grape variety unique to the village of Heiligenstein,
and not the same as Klevner (a synonym for Pinot Blanc). This has a lovely
nose with pretty blossom character, some honey notes and just a touch of
smoked bacon. The palate is dry, full flavoured and quite rich in texture
with lowish acidity. Drinking well now, this is a bit like a cross between
a Pinot Gris and a Gewürztraminer. Very good/excellent (£9.99 La
Vigneronne) 11/02
Preiss-Zimmer Riesling 2000, Alsace
Very attractive crisp lemony nose with a lifted acid edge. Clean and
appealing. The palate is dry and fresh with well judged acidity and a good
intensity of citrus fruit flavour. Finishes bone dry. This is very well
made for an inexpensive wine. Very good+ (purchased in France) 08/02
Paul Blanck Gewürztraminer Furstentum 1983 Reserve
Exceptionelle, Alsace
(Tasted blind, note as written) Deep gold colour. This has an amazing,
very unusual complex nose of sweet lime cordial, with some floral
elements. The palate is very soft and lush with rich texture and quite low
acidity. Initially comes across as quite sweet. A really interesting wine,
I’m completely unsure as to its identity: my guess is an old Mosel
Riesling Auslese. Very good/excellent 06/02
Marc Kreydenweiss Clos du Val d’Éléon 1998, Alsace
An unusual blend of Pinot Gris and Riesling from a single vineyard.
There’s an expressive mineralic edge to the nose with some sweet,
grapey, smoky Pinot Gris character. Palate is quite piercing with lots of
mineral extract and high acidity. A little bit austere and unsure of
itself at the moment, but there’s potential for the future here. Very
good+ 12/01
Schlumberger Riesling Grand Cru Kitterle 1995, Alsace,
France
Quite a forward, limey, honeyed nose. Delicious citrus-dominated
palate with a honeyed, appley edge and piercing acidity. Very savoury and
quite lean, but developing well. Very good/excellent 05/02
Hugel Tradition Pinot Gris 2000 Alsace
Yellow gold. Fresh nose displaying spicy, herbal, slightly meaty
notes (a touch of bacon fat?). The palate is dry and nicely structured
with a good concentration of rich-textured spicy fruit. Not as fat as
some Pinot Gris, but lovely typicity and would work well with food.
Very good+ (£12.95 Berry Bros) 04/02
Léon Beyer Riesling Eguisheim 2000, Alsace
Marc Beyer is the winemaker at this established family firm. This
elegant Riesling has a quite lovely floral nose, which is very
expressive. Good concentration on the palate: quite rich, rounded and
citrussy. Tight and well balanced; finishes dry. Very good/excellent
(£9.25 Berry Bros) 04/02
Rolly Gassmann Gewürztraminer 1995, Alsace
A lovely, fat-textured example of Alsace Gewürztraminer that's
drinking nicely now. Striking ripe nose of lychees, grapes and bacon
fat. Lovely rich, full flavoured palate with just enough residual
sugar to give a rounded character. Perfectly balanced. Very
good/excellent (£12.44 Bibendum) 11/01
Materne Haegelin Riesling Bollenberg 1999, Alsace, France
A relatively full yellow colour, this has a clean, lemony floral nose with
a touch of honey. The palate is full and savoury with a lovely crisp
minerality. It's quite citrussy and there's some honey character. Dry,
high-acid finish. Tasty stuff. Very good+ (Majestic £7.49) 12/01
Materne Haegelin Pinot Blanc 1999, Alsace
Muted nose with a touch of honey is followed by a dry palate with some
mineral notes and a slightly unusual herbal edge. Good depth of
flavour but unremarkable. Good/very good (£5.49 Majestic) 10/01
Materne Haegelin Riesling Bollenberg 1999, Alsace
The fresh, lemony/floral nose is quite expressive. Lovely balance on
the palate with a dry finish and some complexity. A pretty Riesling,
drinking well now. Very good+ (£6.99 Majestic) 10/01
Materne Haegelin Gewürztraminer 1999, Alsace
Delicate perfumed nose is very floral. Delicious palate shows super
balance: it's full, rounded and has some residual sugar, but finishes
dry. Will go well with food. Very good+ (£8.99 Majestic) 10/01
Materne Haegelin Tokay Pinot Gris 1999, Alsace
A beautifully poised Tokay Pinot Gris. The nose shows notes of
smoky bacon and herbs, with a fresh, acidic lift, and leads to a
richly textured palate that finishes dry. A full-on wine that will
accompany food very well. Very
good/excellent (£7.99 Majestic) 10/01
Wunsch & Mann Pinot Blanc 1999, Alsace
(Tasted blind, note as written) Delicate, slightly floral nose with some
lemony notes. Palate is dry, slightly spicy, with good concentration of
rounded, lemony fruit. There's a hint of residual sugar. This is probably an
old-world Riesling (not a great one; possibly a Pinot Blanc?) from Alsace.
Very good (£6.75 Handford)
Jean Heywang Klevener de Heiligenstein 1998, Alsace
Apparently, the rare variety of Klevener (not the same as Klevner, which is
used a synonym for Pinot Blanc in Alsace), has been a speciality of
Heiligenstein since 1742. This is a rich yellow/gold colour, and shows a
rich, ripe nose with a spicy edge and some botrytis-like notes. There’s a
touch of sulphur and some mineral-like elements too. It is soft, honeyed and
mineralic on the palate with lovely texture and length. There’s just a
touch of residual sugar: it is not bone dry but it’s not all that sweet,
either. A complex wine, best with food. Very good/excellent (£10 La
Vigneronne) 4/01
Schlumberger Riesling 1997 'Les Princes Abbés', Alsace
A pale yellow/green colour this has an intense, complex nose of citrus
fruits with undertones of smoke and honey. The bone dry, lemony, mineralic
palate is fresh and crisp. Quite austere and classically styled, this is a
good food wine. Very good+ (£8.85 Bentalls) 5/01
Hugel 'Gentil' 1999, Alsace
This pale coloured blend of Alsace varieties has an attractive
grapey/floral nose with a honeyed edge. The palate is fruity and floral with
a touch of spice. A nice all purpose house white, this goes down very
easily. Very good (£5.99 Sainsbury) 5/01
Domaine Zind Humbrecht Herrenweg de Turkheim Pinot Gris 1998, Alsace
A full yellow gold colour, this wine is slightly spritzy (with fine
bubbles), which leads me to worry that it may just have started to referment
in the bottle. It has a honeyed, smoky, grapey nose with notes of tinned
fruit syrup, caramel and butterscotch. The palate is full and rounded with a
touch of residual sugar. Good but odd; it may be of course that this is a
slightly faulty bottle. Very good (£9.99 Wine Rack) 5/01
Materne Haegelin Riesling Bollenberg 1999, Alsace, France
A yellow colour, this is has a clean, lemony, floral nose with a touch of
honey. Palate is full and savoury with a lovely crisp minerality, some
citrussy character and a dry, high acid finish. A lovely wine for the
price. (£6.99 Majestic, on offer at £5.99 for 2 or more) 12/01
JB Adam Tokay Pinot Gris 1999, Alsace
JB Adam have their own vineyard holdings and also act as negociants; this is
one of their negociant wines. It’s pleasant stuff; varietally true with a
slightly smoky, grapey, bacon-fat-laced nose. The palate is full flavoured
with grapey, spicy notes and good balance. Soft finish. Not a big wine, but
a useful match for richer dishes. It’s a shame that they cut corners by
using an agglomerate cork, which I think adds a subtle but discernible taint
to the wine. Very good (£6.50 worldmarechal.com) 5/01
Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Herrenweg Turkheim 1993, Alsace
A deep yellow/gold colour, this expressive Riesling has a lovely rich
nose with a citrus edge and some spicy notes. The full, fat palate has bags
of ripe citrussy fruit and tangy acidity. It's quite complex and with a
little bit of residual sugar there's nice balance here, and it's not too
sweet and fat to pair well with food. Drinking beautifully now, and quite
profound in a ripe style. Excellent (Wine Rack discounted to £9.99) 04/01
Trimbach Muscat Reserve 1998
I was quite surprised by this wine, which was served blind¾
I guessed it was a new world Gewürztraminer! It has an expressive aromatic
nose showing sweet floral notes. The palate is clean, dry and grapey, with a
bit of spiciness, but there's not quite full enough texture to match the
lovely nose. A bit of a one-trick wine, but good with strongly flavoured
food. Very good (04/01)
Hugel Riesling 1998, Alsace
The basic Riesling from Hugel (not the 'Tradition' series) has a bright,
aromatic, citrussy nose with some floral notes: it's lifted and a bit nervy.
The lemony palate is fresh with high acidity and some mineral notes. Quite
full flavoured, but a little tight and austere at the moment. Very good (Oddbins
£8.95) 6/01
Albert Boxler Pinot Blanc L20B 1998, Alsace
An old vines cuvée from 50 year old vines, this has a lightly floral,
honeyed nose with some smoky notes. The palate is complex, mineralic and
taut, with great balance, and spice and honey notes. Although it is from a
grand cru vineyard site (Brand, I believe), because Pinot Blanc is not one
of the noble grapes of Alsace, the producer is not allowed to give this
information on the label -- this is why Boxler uses the L20B 'code' instead.
Very good/excellent
03/01
Trimbach Pinot Gris Cuvée Reserve Personelle 1997, Alsace
A lightly honeyed, slightly spicy nose is followed up with a fresh,
clean, spicy palate: it is quite mineralic and intense, with a touch of
honey, and not as fat textured as most Alsace Pinot Gris tends to be. A
lean, savoury style. Very
good+ 03/01
Marc Kreydenweiss Pinot Gris Grand Cru Moenchberg 1995, Alsace
A lovely, rich Pinot Gris with some botrytis and a touch of residual
sugar. The evolved, spicy palate is rich, but has nice balancing acidity,
and it is dry enough to pair with food quite well. Very good/excellent
Albert Mann Tokay Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes 1999
From a tricky vintage a lovely expression of Pinot Gris. This isn't big and
fat like some examples of this grape can be, but instead shows good balance.
It displays rounded, ripe grapey/spicy flavours, and notes of honey, toffee
apples and smoke, with a long spicy finish. Just a touch of residual sugar:
the overall impression is quite dry. A rich, full flavoured food wine. Very
good+ (£10.49 Oddbins) 03/01
Wunsch & Mann Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 1996
Quite deep coloured. The richly rounded nose is smooth with notes
of honey, pears, smoke and minerals. The lively palate shows more
honey, smoke and mineral characters, with lemony acidity on the
finish. It's quite a serious, minerally wine. Subtle and balanced.
Very good+ 4/01
Bott-Geyl Riesling Grand Cru Mandelberg 1997
The subtle, citrus-laden nose has some smoky notes and a lively
grapiness. The palate is more open, with some sweetness and complex
notes of honey, smoke and minerals. It's a modern, market-driven style
that I don't care for much: I find that most of the more ambitious
wines from this producer lack balance. Very good 4/01
Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 1997
A serious, backward wine that really needs time to show its best.
The minerally, smoky nose leads to a bone dry palate that is complex
and mineralic with some citrus elements. It's quite tight and firm,
but with a bright future ahead of it. Very good/excellent 4/01
Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste Hune 1996
Possibly the most celebrated Alsace wine? It's hard not to be
swayed by reputations as lofty as that enjoyed by this wine, and even
harder to assess it fairly so early on in its development. Quite a
deep colour, the full, startling nose shows complex bready and mineral
notes with some smokiness and perhaps a touch of spice. The palate is
quite challenging: bone dry and with high acidity, it shows lime and
mineral notes, with huge extract and concentration. Will probably be
sensational in time, but quite hard work to drink now because of the
high acidity and lack of balancing sugar. Excellent 4/01
Lorentz Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Altenberg de
Bergheim 1990, Alsace
The part closed mineralic nose with hints of smoke and honeyed fruit is followed by a
soft, rounded palate with honey and spice flavours, and good depth. Its an
impressive mature wine from a less well known producer, and perhaps the only criticism is
a touch of bitterness on the finish. Its a style I like. Very good+ 1/01
Paul Zinck Gewürztraminer 1999, Alsace, France
This full flavoured Alsatian shows great varietal character. It has a ripe, rich, floral
nose with pronounced lychee notes. This is followed up with a nicely balanced palate: rich
and full with a touch of sweetness in the finish. I often find that there's a
discontinuity in many bone dry Gewürztraminers between the sweetly floral nose and bone
dry palate, but this wine gets it right. Very good/excellent (£7.99 Majestic) 1/01
Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Turkheim 1998
A bold flavoured, unusual wine. Deep coloured wine with a floral, lychee, grapey and
honeyed nose. On the palate it has a rich, soapy, oily texture, and is dry with a touch of
honeyed sweetness in the finish. The high alcohol is apparent. Very good, but not to
everyone's taste. (£7.99 Waitrose) 11/00
Riesling Grafenreben 1997 Bott-Geyl
Full, ripe, citrussy nose. It's dry with good concentration on palate, showing more of the
citrussy character and nice complexity. Very good. (Majestic £8.99) 10/00
Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Sonnenglanz 1998, Bott-Geyl
Ripe, rich, exotic nose; smoky and complex. On the palate, however, despite the good
concentration it's overly sweet and sugary, without enough complexity or acidity. A real
shame. Good. (Majestic £13.99) 10/00
Bott-Geyl
Gewürztraminer Schosselreben de Bébleheim 1998, Alsace
Rich and full textured with a spicy/floral nose and sweet, grapey fruit on the
palate. Good concentration and balance, it's a pleasant drink, but lacks a little in the
way of palate complexity. Very good (Majestic £12.99) 9/00
Materne Haegelin Tokay Pinot Gris 1998,
Alsace
Fresh, dry white wine with honeyed, spicy fruit, a smoky edge and a rich texture. Overall,
though, this is a little crude and disappointing, lacking real varietal character. Not as
good as the other wines I've had from this estate. It's not that it's a bad wine; it's
more that it is just not a great one. Good. (£7.99 Majestic) 9/00
Marc Kreydenweiss Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru
Moenchberg 1995, Alsace
One of the Swedish parcel from Majestic (at about a third of the usual retail price). A
stunning, unusual wine. Light gold colour with a smoky nose. On the palate there are
complex honeyed flavours, some varietal character and quite a bit of botrytis. It is
intense and concentrated, with a slightly sweet finish. Its beginning to oxidise a
little, so drink soon. Very good/excellent 8/00
Materne Haegelin Riesling Bollenberg 1997, Alsace
A serious Alsatian wine at a bargain price. Lovely open nose of citrus fruit and minerals.
On the palate there is a lovely structure: it is light and citrus-laden, with good acidity
and a touch of sweetness in the finish. Harmonious and interesting. Very good, perhaps
even better. (£6.99, Majestic) 2/00
Materne Haegelin Pinot Blanc 1997, Alsace
An impressive, inexpensive Alsatian. Attractive spice and lemon nose. On the palate there
is good concentration, with sweet floral notes and spice contributing to what is a nicely
balanced and full flavoured wine. Touch of residual sugar? Very good and a steal at
£5.49. (Majestic) 2/00
Domaine Mittnacht Frères Tokay Pinot Gris
1998, Alsace
I'm a big fan of the full-flavoured, food friendly wines of Alsace. This wine displays a
nose of smoky bacon and minerals, and on the palate is smooth, rounded and
full-flavoured,
with a touch of spice, some residual sugar, and just enough acidity to keep it in balance.
Nice clean wine, best well chilled with food. Very good. (Berry Bros, £8.45) 5/00