Winemaker Notes
Enjoy with seafood, shellfish, pork chops, goat cheese or sushi.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Appetizing notes of ripe Cox Orange Pippin apples, both in their fresh, crunchy state and in a more mellow baked version, characterize the flavors of this wine, with overtones of strawberry and sun-warmed stone. The juicy palate is concentrated and incredibly mouthwatering, with generous ripeness pitched against pure, zesty freshness. It offers concentration, liveliness and purity in one amazing package. Drink now until 2030 at least.
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James Suckling
Love the lemon rind and hints of cream and stones. Some flinty undertones. Full-bodied, bright and beautiful. Tangy, lime finish. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Riesling Clos Windsbuhl is again a great Riesling, although it is still closed and hidden under limestone rocks (bottled end of February 2016). However, it opens with an intense and concentrated but also fresh, fine and transparent lemon flavor intermixed with the powder of crushed stones. Full-bodied, round and elegant, with 9.1 grams of residual sugar and 12.52% of alcohol, the 2014 is packed with ripe and juicy fruits. There is also grip and tension due to vibrant acidity and low pH (8.5/2.9). This is a tightly woven and airy structured Riesling with a silky texture, great finesse and fine tannin structure. Very promising.
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Wine & Spirits
Olivier Humbrecht farms riesling at the top of the slope in Clos Windsbuhl, where the topsoil has eroded so the vines are close to the muschelkalk; it’s a type of limestone rich in magnesium, which he finds to produce riesling with both elegance and volume. This wine took 15 months to finish fermentation, producing a kaleidoscope of fruit in colors of lemongrass, yellow flowers, pink grapefruit and red berries. The tense, mineral-tinged structure is powerful, yet withheld, keeping a tight focus on the lasting fruit complexity. Fascinating to drink now, this will benefit from mellowing for a few years in the cellar.
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Wine Spectator
Laserlike acidity defines this statuesque Riesling, while the mouthwatering palate offers flavors of lime granita, crunchy white peach, fleur de sel and Thai basil. Long and vibrant, with a lasting, minerally finish. Drink now through 2028.
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.