Domaine Weinbach Muscat 2017
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Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Superb as an aperitif, and a perfect accompaniment to asparagus, artichoke, fennel, vegetable terrines, lightly spiced dishes, and soft shell crab.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Tangy citrus zest on the nose comes with tender hints of Damask rose and honeysuckle. The palate convinces with its utter lightness and very dry style. Lasting and intense, this wine is great now but has enough concentration to go the distance. Drink until 2025.
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James Suckling
A subtle and dry muscat with delicate blossom aromas, plenty of citrusy freshness and a hint of bergamot. Pristine clarity and a very clean, long finish. Drink now or in 2019 and 2020. Made from biodynamically grown grapes
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Picked at the end of September, the 2017 Alsace Muscat displays a floral bouquet with bergamot aromas. Based on 70% Ottonel and 30% Muscat d'Alsace, this is a rich, intense and powerful yet dry and elegant wine with a long, aromatic finish. Delicious!
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Wine Spectator
Racy acidity creates a mouthwatering frame for this elegant, light- to medium-bodied white, working with the underlying salinity and driving the flavors of yellow peach, mandarin orange and Thai basil through the lingering finish. Drink now through 2024. 260 cases made.
Other Vintages
2021- Vinous
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Suckling
James
At the foot of the majestic Schlossberg hill in Alsace stands one of the finest estates in all of France. Weinbach produces richly concentrated, fragrant dry Rieslings, for which the Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard is particularly well-situated. Ranging from the delicate Reserve Personelle, to the intense, dry Cuvée Théo, the elegant, very dry, very fine Schlossberg, the rich and fruity Cuvée Ste. Catherine, to the majestic and full-bodied Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine, each Riesling is distinctive. The rich, rose-scented, spicy Gewurztraminers from Domaine Weinbach are among the finest in the world. Ranging in style from the slightly sweet, rich and powerful Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence, to the stunning, full-bodied, off-dry Grand Cru Furstentum Cuvée Laurence, these are rich yet elegant wines with great aromatic complexity.
While Muscat comes in a wide range of styles from dry to sweet, still to sparkling and even fortified, it's safe to say it is always alluringly aromatic and delightful. The two most important versions are the noble, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, making wines of considerable quality and Muscat of Alexandria, thought to be a progeny of the former. Somm Secret—Pliny the Elder wrote in the 13th century of a sweet, perfumed grape variety so attractive to bees that he referred to it as uva apiana, or “grape of the bees.” Most likely, he was describing Muscat.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.