Winemaker Notes
Many consider Geisberg one of the three best vineyard sites for Riesling in Alsace. Its steep slopes, terraced in stone, rise majestically above the gorgeous village of Ribeauvillé. It is also one of the smallest grands crus in Alsace, with only a handful of growers working its slopes. Geisberg Riesling, when worked by a master vigneron, is a thoroughbred of a wine—racy and pure, of great breed and precision—a grandiose sculpture of time and place, destined for a long life in your cellar.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
There is a glorious touch of ripe peach among the abundant lemon notes of the nose. A hint of grapefruit spice lends added allure. These notes carry to the palate that is juicy in ripe peach, grapefruit and bright lemon. All this happens on an completely dry, finely delineated body of absolute precision and poise. There is something crystalline about this, something fine-boned and delicate that nonetheless has absolute power to convince. This is simply wonderful. Its inherent grace will only increase with time. Drink 2020–2037.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The golden-colored 2015 Geisberg Riesling is generous in flavors and fruit ripeness yet also pure, fresh and saline, with notes of crushed (flint) stones and ripe as well dried peach and mandarin aromas. Lush, savory and fresh on the palate, this is a rich and intense yet elegant and aromatic Riesling with generous fruit structured by fine tannins, noble citrus fruit bitters and candied fruit aromas. The wine is slowly opening up and delivers ripeness and generosity yet also piquancy and salinity, which makes it a sustainable, food-friendly Riesling cru from one of the smaller grands crus in Alsace. 14% stated alcohol.
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Wine Spectator
A bright and graceful white, offering a lovely mix of apple blossom, nectarine, fleur de sel and slivered almond flavors. Creamy and well-knit, with a racy, mineral-tinged finish. Drink now through 2027.
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James Suckling
Concentrated but slightly off-dry. This has the stature you'd expect from a grand cru. With a little more elegance, this would have been even more exciting.
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.