Winemaker Notes
Intensely fragrant with elements of exotic fruit, stones, and bergamot tea supported by brisk acidity that lengthens the refined and complex finish.
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
Fragrant yet tightly focused, this captures the grapey aspect of this grape, but also offers delightful mandarin, nectarine and blossom notes. The concentrated yet lively palate has a riesling-like texture, the minerals building beautifully on the long finish. A rare dry muscat with aging potential. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Smoky, funky reduction still completely clouds this wine’s nose. Underneath that, slight notions of honeysuckle and citrus can be discerned. The bone-dry palate speaks of rounded richness, despite its relative slenderness, but a core of lemony brightness bathes everything in freshness. Tender spice and citrus zestiness tingle on the long finish and promise future joy. Drink 2025–2040.
While Muscat comes in a wide range of styles from dry to sweet, still to sparkling and even fortified, it's safe to say it is always alluringly aromatic and delightful. The two most important versions are the noble, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, making wines of considerable quality and Muscat of Alexandria, thought to be a progeny of the former. Somm Secret—Pliny the Elder wrote in the 13th century of a sweet, perfumed grape variety so attractive to bees that he referred to it as uva apiana, or “grape of the bees.” Most likely, he was describing Muscat.
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.