Austere Splendor: Les Vins d'Alsace

Editor's Note:
As we approach our sixth anniversary, we decided to revisit one of our early features, on the wines of Alsace, and update it with a selection from more recent vintages. Indeed, since the current vintages, 2000 and 2001, were both outstanding, this is the perfect time to try these wines. Unfortunately Alsatian whites are often overlooked--especially by those new to wine. In fact, even some experienced wine drinkers often tend to confuse them with German wines and shun them for fear that anything "too sweet" or "fruity" pass through their lips. However, most Alsatian wines, except for the late harvested ones, are anything but sweet. We hope that after reading this month's feature, you'll give them a try before putting away your "summer whites."

Although their pairing is almost oxymoronic, the words "power" and "finesse" seem to follow each other whenever anyone discusses Alsatian wines. But I can think of no other two that characterize these luscious, quaffable wines as accurately. "Power" is often used to differentiate them from German wines to which they are frequently and perhaps unfortunately, compared. They are definitely fuller bodied and dryer, making them perfect accompaniments to fish and white meats. "Finesse" suggests the aromatic charm of their floral and fruity bouquets.

Alsatian wines are labeled after the grapes from which they are made. The major white grape varieties are:

Riesling. The wines from this grape are crisp, dry, and elegant; some of the best can have the subtle bouquets and complexity of a great white Burgundy. Much drier than German Rieslings, these are ideal food wines.

Pinot Blanc. Typically well-balanced, these wines offer tantalizing fruit, ranging from apples to citrus, with austere mineral undertones. Perfect with fish and chicken.

Gewurztraminer. Full bodied and full flavored, these wines are spicy and perfumed. To say the least, seductive. They are best served with richer dishes such as foie gras or with spicier fare like Indian or Oriental.

Sylvaner. Next to Gewurztraminer, an innocent. These are light wines that are crisp and clean on the palate. An ideal wine for summer quaffing and a perfect match for oysters.

Tokay d'Alsace or Pinot Gris. Aromatic and rich. The wines can have an almost smoky bouquet, and on the palate display an opulent creamy texture. They are ideal for richer dishes made with cream sauces and are great with shell fish.

Muscat. Deliciously aromatic yet dry, this wine is perfect with Indian and Oriental dishes.

Two additional terms are used to classify Alsatian wines:

Vendanges Tardives. Literally, "late harvest." These wines are made from grapes picked after the regular harvest and perfectly ripened. They are full bodied wines with exquisite concentration and flavor. For the most part, these are dry wines, although some will have a small amount of residual sugar.

Selection de Grains Nobles. Pure nectar without a trace of new oak. Only produced in exceptional years, these wines are truly mellifluous and exhibit sumptuous concentration and great length. They can be enjoyed upon release but will age elegantly for years.

As is our custom, we tasted the wines first by themselves and then accompanied by food. Our menu was a variety of bratwurst and weisswurst paired with a German potato salad laced with crisp bacon.

	2000 Hugel, Gentil, Alsace ($9.99) Very pale straw in color, this blend of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Muscat, and Sylvaner has a forward nose of peach, lemon, and almond. On the palate, it's crisp, dry, and medium bodied. Well structured with good acidity, it delivers tart peach and lemony flavors. It has a good mouthfeel and it finishes nicely with lemon citrus. This wine was very good with the meal and should be quite adaptable to a variety of foods. An excellent value. Definitely one of the stars of this tasting. Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., New York, NY.

	2000 Adam, Riesling "Reserve," Alsace ($11.99) Very pale straw in color, this wine has a mineral and slate nose, with some herbaceous notes as well. Medium bodied and crisp, it delivers dry, citrus and slate flavors that linger on the palate. It has a good finish that is consistent with its initial flavors. We found this wine "refreshing" with the meal. Imported by Chapin Cellars, LLC., Springfield, VA.

	2000 Martin Schaetzel, Riesling "Cuvee Reserve," Alsace ($14.99) Pale straw in color, this wine has a subdued nose of lemon and peach, together with some floral nuances. Light to medium bodied, it's crisp with grapefruit-citrus flavors. "Steely," commented one taster. The wine has a good finish with grapefruit-pith notes. It went well with the food. Imported by Vinifrance Imports, Inc., Arlington, VA.

	2000 Adam, Pinot Blanc "Reserve," Alsace ($10.99) This wine has a pale yellow color. The nose is forward, with aromas of butter and cream, followed by scents of citrus and minerals. On the palate, it has a pleasant mouthfeel with some unctuousness. Light to medium bodied, it's off-dry and delivers peach and kumquat flavors that are complemented by a bit of slate. With a little time, some sweetness develops as well. The wine finishes nicely with peach notes. This wine was good with the food. Imported by Chapin Cellars, LLC., Springfield, VA.

	2001 Domaine Paul Blanck, Pinot Blanc D'Alsace, Alsace ($11.99) Pale gold in color, this wine has a big, inviting nose with aromas of mock orange and honeysuckle that are rounded out by mineral notes. On the palate, it's medium bodied and fleshy with good acidity. It has a great mouthfeel with a bit of unctuousness. There's plenty of peach and grapefruit flavor. It finishes well with tart, pithy citrus. This wine complemented the menu perfectly. Another star of this tasting. Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY.

	2000 Hugel, Pinot Blanc "Cuvee Les Amours," Alsace ($11.99) Very pale straw in color, this wine has an aggressive, pretty nose of apricot and citrus together with some almond notes. On the plate, it's medium bodied and unctuous. Nicely structured, it delivers bitter almond flavors, followed by a grapefruit-pith sourness. It has good length and finishes with the grapefruit pith. It went quite well with the pork. Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., New York, NY.

	2000 Martin Schaetzel, Tokay-Pinot Gris "Cuvee Reserve," Alsace ($17.99) This wine has a pale gold color. The nose is pretty, with peach and apricot aromas together with some hints of apple. On the palate, it's off dry and shows sweet apricot and baking-spice flavors. This wine has a great mouthfeel with crisp acidity and lingering flavors. It finishes well with apricot and toast notes. "A bright wine," commented one taster. It was very good with our menu. Imported by Vinifrance Imports, Inc., Arlington, VA.

	1999 Domaine Ernest Burn, Tokay-Pinot Gris, Clos Saint Imer, La Chapelle, Goldert, Alsace Grand Cru ($16.99) This wine is from the Clos Saint Imer plot that's within the hillside La Chapelle vineyard in the Grand Cru area known as Goldert. Deep gold in color, this wine has a muscat nose with nuances of sweet apricots and creamsicles. Light to medium bodied, it has a lacy sweetness that evolves from almond to grapefruit. It's well structured with good acidity. It has a long finish with hints of apricot and grapefruit. It was very good with the food. Definitely a star of this tasting. Imported by Martin Scott Wines, Lake Success, NY.

	2000 E. Boekel, Gewurztraminer, Alsace ($11.99) Pale gold in color, this wine has a fuzzy, litchi nose that jumps from the glass. Light to medium bodied, it offers straightforward, dried apricot flavors. It's not at all complex and rather short on the finish. This is a light-weight Gewurztraminer that turned more than one of our tasters off. It was better with the food. Imported by Wine Source Selections, South Kearny, NJ.

	2000 Hugel, Gewurztraminer, Alsace ($19.99) Pale gold in color, this wine has a clean, litchi and honeysuckle nose, along with some hints of citrus and wet slate. Light to medium bodied, it's well balanced. It has an attractive, unctuous mouthfeel, and it delivers a vivid counterpoint of apricot and aggressive spice flavors. This sweet and spicy duo follows through to the finish. A classic Alsatian Gewurztraminer. It was excellent with the food. Definitely a star of this tasting. Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., New York, NY.

	1988 Mader, Gewurztraminer, Selection de Grains Nobles, Alsace ($19.99) This fourteen-year old, late-harvest Gewurztraminer was at a close-out price. It shows how well a good Alsatian wine can age. Gold in color, this wine has an intriguing nose, with apricots, botrytis, and floral notes that evolve into honey. The wine is unctuous on the palate. There's also a classic sweet-bitter counterpoint of honey and bitter-almond flavors that's complemented by nuances of apple butter. The wine is well structured with good acidity and has a great finish with spice and almond-shell dust. "A little gem," remarked one taster. Imported by Cynthia Hurley, Fort Lee, NJ.

Some buying notes:

Some of the best, and consequently most famous, producers of Alsatian wines are Trimbach, Zind-Humbrecht, and Hugel.

Although they age well, I would avoid buying most Alsatians any earlier than 2000 or 2001 unless you know that your merchant has stored the wines well. (I am not applying this caution to the top cuvees from the finest producers--for example, Trimbach's Riesling Clos Ste. Hune--but then again such wines go for close to $100 a bottle.) In fact, since these wines usually don't fly off the shelf, I would probably not buy any of them earlier than 1992. (1991 was, at best, an average vintage.)

Finding Alsatian wines in many stores can take some effort. You may find them alongside the German wines, if they're not among the French. I've also found that the wines from the most famous producers are getting quite expensive.

If you don't have a reliable wine merchant, a great source of information on Alsatians is Robert Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide.

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TableWine is a personal website and does not sell any wine. However, many of the wines we review are purchased from our local wine merchants, Wine & Spirit World in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ and The Wine Seller in Ridgewood, NJ. The Wine & Spirit World website may help you locate a good number of our selections. You might also use the database of quality wine merchants at Wine Searcher.com to help find wines that are difficult to locate. Finally, if your local wine store does not carry a wine that you've read about here, don't hesitate to ask them to order a bottle or two for you. For imported wines, you may need to supply them with the name of the importer or distributor.

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