Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
This great dry riesling effortlessly combines stunningly refined stone fruit aromas with a fantastic concentration and delicacy. The grapefruit freshness at the super-vibrant finish underlines all of this beautifully. So delicious now, but also great aging potential. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a gentle-sloping, east-facing vineyard planted in 1973, the 2022 Clos Häuserer Wintzenheim Riesling was still a bit reductive when I tasted it at the domaine in April 2024, yet the wine was also clear and pure as well as aromatic on the stony nose that intermingled ripe and concentrated fruit with the spicy notes of the calcareous marl terroir. Lush yet fine and elegant on the palate, this is a dense and intense, tightly structured Riesling with a long and intense mineral finish. The 2022 fermented fully dry to one gram per liter of residual sugar and comes in with 13.4% alcohol.
-
Vinous
The 2022 Riesling Clos Häuserer is harvested at the bottom of the Hengst Grand Cru, on deep marl soils with clay, all the finer elements deposited from the decomposition of the Hengst. Ripe, juicy pear shines on the nose, edged with fine lemon peel. The palate is succulent, dripping with Mirabelle and lemon. The longer this is in the mouth, the more intense it gets. Yet the finish is relatively mild and smooth but imbued with that gorgeous grapefruit notion. (Bone-Dry)
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.