Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Vinous
The 2022 Riesling Eckberg Sommerberg Grand Cru is on granite at 400 meters of altitude with very little topsoil. Eckberg is west of Vanne, more receded, so slightly cooler than Vanne. It is harvested a week later, getting more cool evening breezes. A touch of ripe Mirabelle verges into a beautiful tart russet pear peel streak. It's not that you can smell the texture, but you can feel it. The palate is as clear-cut as ever, bell-like, brilliant, with that uncompromising nakedness of stone but also imbued with that pithy, phenolic element which here almost touches slightly tart Mirabelle skin, lending more texture. Boxler also pours a bottle of Eckberg that has been open for two days, and this is instructive: the phenolics have knitted together, have less surface and arrest less, while fruit and freshness are all the more luminous. Wow. It swallows its 14% ABV. (Bone-Dry)
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Grand Cru Sommerberg Riesling Eckberg is clear, fresh and fragrant like a perfume on the nose that represents a rocky and saline site high in altitude. Pure, finely juicy and savory on the palate, this is a dense, rich, intense, very long and concentrated Sommerberg. 13.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Rating: 95+
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.