Winemaker Notes
One whiff of this might make you want to plunge right into the glass. Once the wine hits your tongue... Nope, zingy lemon, delicate white flowers, rich mineral backbone, beautiful mouthwatering finish, incredible length... (though all true) will not come close to summing up the experience of enjoying this wine. How’s “Buy as much as you can get” for a tasting note? It’s a classic!
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Riesling Grand Cru Brand Kirchberg (abbreviated as Brand K on the European label) is from the east-facing part of the cru and opens with a beautifully pure and delicate bouquet of milled granite and perfectly ripe Riesling berries. This has an enormous and already elegant nose, and I can hardly imagine how the Brand could be expressed in a better way. The palate is generously fruity, almost round and lush, based on perfectly ripe and healthy fruit. The structure is crystalline and piquant, and the acidity is perfectly interwoven with the elegantly refined fruit, leading to a long, intense, super balanced finish. This is the best Brand I have tasted from Jean Boxler, and to be honest, I am in deep love with this wine and its juicy, round, sensual fruit and its super refined, mineral soul. The 2016 combines the best from two worlds: fruits and minerals. It was bottled with ten grams of unfermented sugar that is completely integrated and gives this beautiful balance.
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.