Domaine Weinbach Schlossberg Grand Cru Riesling 2021
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James
Suckling - Decanter
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Offers a delicate nose of fresh orchard fruit and light floral notes with a touch of beeswax. The granite of the terroir can be felt through a crisp and vivid acidity. The palate is light-bodied and balanced with a slight minerality for an endless finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The bouquet of this great dry riesling is like an essence of golden stone fruits, yet it remains delicate and charming. Stunning concentration and brilliance on the very focused medium-bodied palate. After the first wave of peachy and apricot character comes another of blood orange and Amalfi lemon. So much wet stony minerality! From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drink or hold.
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Decanter
What a beautifully delicate touch from attack to finish, expressed in rosewood, white flower, fresh herbs, linden tea, jasmine and lime. Such aromatic complexity, which includes appealing smoky notes, leading to a suave richness on the medium-bodied palate. A refined wine.
Other Vintages
2020-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Wine
Enthusiast
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Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator
At the foot of the majestic Schlossberg hill in Alsace stands one of the finest estates in all of France. Weinbach produces richly concentrated, fragrant dry Rieslings, for which the Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard is particularly well-situated. Ranging from the delicate Reserve Personelle, to the intense, dry Cuvée Théo, the elegant, very dry, very fine Schlossberg, the rich and fruity Cuvée Ste. Catherine, to the majestic and full-bodied Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine, each Riesling is distinctive. The rich, rose-scented, spicy Gewurztraminers from Domaine Weinbach are among the finest in the world. Ranging in style from the slightly sweet, rich and powerful Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence, to the stunning, full-bodied, off-dry Grand Cru Furstentum Cuvée Laurence, these are rich yet elegant wines with great aromatic complexity.
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.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.