Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Forget dessert and go for this riesling, which is one of the world’s best energy drinks! A cornucopia of pomelo and exotic-fruit aromas, married to great power and succulence on the vibrant palate. Such a strong, tightly knit finish that’s brimming with mineral freshness and, yes, there’s some sweetness in there, but it’s so perfectly integrated. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the Schoenenbourg and a small plot in the Engelsreben (both located in Riquewihr), the 2013 Riesling Vendange Tardive has a golden-yellow color and offers an intense but also coolish and spicy bouquet with notes of stewed apples, crushed stones and fine botrytis. Bottled with 11.2% alcohol plus 68 grams per liter of residual sugar, this is the richest VT Riesling Hugel has ever bottled. The wine is nevertheless very elegant, refined and persistently mineral due to its uplifting salinity and lemon bitters. Greatly balanced, this is a classic that will improve over decades.
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.