Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Riesling Sommerberg Grand Cru was picked in the central part of Sommerberg from vines around 50 years old. The nose is a subtle combination of lemon and ripe pear. The palate is juicy and has ripe pear juice flavors and notions of russet pear peel in texture, but both are made exquisitely fresh by bright lemon zest. There's a lovely interplay of ripeness and freshness with much verve and stony precision. The 2022 has a brief finish. (Bone-Dry)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From two plots harvested at the same time, the 2022 Grand Cru Sommerberg Riesling opens with a pure, refined, subtle and subversively intense nose with spicy and herbal notes. Lush and intense on the palate, this is a rich and dense, saline and complex, very long and elegant Sommerberg with perfectly ripe and concentrated fruit and a long and intense finish. 13.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork.
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.