Winemaker Notes
Fronholz is André’s quartz-dominant terroir, and as the stone itself might suggest, it delivers cool, sleek, crystalline wines with focus and clarity, particularly with the noble Muscat and Riesling grapes. This Riesling can be drunk young or old. Young, it pairs beautifully with minimally prepared fish or crustacean dishes—toss in a little citrus to align the dish even better with the wine’s acidity.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
The spiky tartness of ripe passion fruit shoots vivid aroma from the glass. This wine offers something cool and distant amid the ripe tangerine notes that follow. Vivid and bright, the palate is illuminated with projections of tangerine toned down with lime. The wine is slender but bold, gentle but very alive. It finishes dry and utterly moreish.
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James Suckling
Cinnamon, caramel, tarte tatin, dried papaya and pineapple. Round and quite rich on the palate with lots of dried peaches and spicy undertones. Touch of what seems like sweetness to close. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink now.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Small but mighty, this picturesque region in northeastern France is renowned for its white wines produced by passionate families whose winemaking roots span generations and even centuries. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, Alsace benefits from a sunny, dry climate and a long growing season. It is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world — one of the many reasons why Alsace rocks!
Alsace wines include dry, mineral-driven Riesling, earthy Pinot Gris, refreshing Pinot Blanc, exuberant Gewurztraminer, elegant Pinot Noir, and more. From traditional-method sparkling wines to easy-drinking AOC Alsace, to complex Grand Cru bottlings from 51 distinct sites, and rich, late harvest wines, Alsace produces a wine for every occasion. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and are labeled with the grape name. The region is also one of the greenest wine-producing areas in France, with 36% of its vineyard area certified organic.
Riesling, the region’s calling card, is dry, fresh and floral in its youth, developing complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Pinot Blanc is an affable food partner or porch sipper. Pinot Noir, the only red grape in AOC Alsace, is now authorized in three Grand Cru areas and is also used for Crémant d’Alsace sparkling rosé. Any bottle you choose will offer deliciousness, pleasure and value that is unprecedented in other wine regions.