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Domaine Weinbach, “Schlossberg” Grand Cru Riesling

Alsace, France 2019 (750mL)
Regular price$64.00
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Domaine Weinbach, “Schlossberg” Grand Cru Riesling

For me, only a select few producers have greatly separated themselves from the Alsatian pack (e.g. Trimbach, Zind-Humbrecht, Weinbach), but Domaine Weinbach is the one that holds a deeply special place in my heart. The family behind the domaine, the Fallers, is absolutely legendary, and I’ve had the great fortune of visiting the estate several times throughout my career. Their cellar is located in the quaint, World-Heritage-worthy town of Kaysersberg, and when I arrived for the first time many years back, I felt like I was stepping into a fairy tale. 


Some of my favorite wine experiences have been with the Fallers, who have owned the domaine since 1898, and many of the finest dry Rieslings I’ve enjoyed have carried the Weinbach name. They have a comprehensive understanding of Riesling and today’s dry, powerfully mineral Grand Cru bottling is a shining paragon of their mastery. Coming from the globally revered “Schlossberg” vineyard—one of the best for Riesling anywhere in the world—this breathtakingly complex and age-worthy Grand Cru beauty is a bucket-list item for anyone who considers themselves champions of the world’s best and most classic labels. We scored a tiny allocation, up to six bottles per person. 


From the front door of Domaine Weinbach, you can look up to see a sprawling and terraced slope that leads up the Vosges mountain range: This is Grand Cru Schlossberg, the most celebrated site above Kaysersberg. Renowned for its superior terroir, this incredible vineyard is the oldest Grand Cru in Alsace. Throughout this steep, sun-drenched vineyard, you’ll find a terraced network of vines that are deeply rooted in mineral-rich sand and granite.
 
Today’s refined, lively, and sublimely textured dry Riesling comes from the shallow upper portion of the hill, around 1,000 to 1,150 feet in elevation. The cornerstones of Domaine Weinbach’s viticultural philosophy include maintaining low yields, encouraging biodiversity in the soils, and avoiding the use of herbicides, fertilizers, and chemical insecticides. The winery has been practicing organic since 1990 and began to incorporate biodynamic methods in 1998. By 2005, the entirety of Weinbach’s vines were farmed in accordance with those principles, and today the winery is certified by both Ecocert (organics) and Demeter (biodynamics). 
 
In the cellar, Weinbach practices minimal intervention but considers constant attention the key to guiding perfectly ripe, mature, healthy grapes to become great wine. The process starts with meticulous sorting and selection before the must is gently extracted through a slow, progressive pneumatic pressing. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in ancient oak casks, lending an air of authenticity, complexity, and uniquity to every wine that leaves the Weinbach cellar. 
 
This revelatory Grand Cru Riesling, from the excellent 2019 vintage, is a wine to cellar and enjoy over the next 10-20 years—if you open it now, you certainly won’t be disappointed, but the true magic will start in 5+ years, if not longer. In the glass, it shows a brilliant light golden yellow core with pale green hues toward the meniscus. It’s wonderfully fragrant, with an enchanted garden full of delicate white floral notes on the nose, leading to a dry, mouthwatering palate of grilled pineapple, apricot, quince, orange oil, saffron, lilac, sous bois, and a kiss of honey. Serve between 50 and 55 degrees in an all-purpose white or Burgundy stem, and consider this the perfect opportunity to indulge in one of the most magical food and wine pairings I know: dry Alsatian Riesling with a big platter of choucroute garnie, served alongside mustard, pork belly, sausages, ham, and as many friends as you can find. The precise, crystalline acidity in this energetic Riesling will cut straight through the rich, fatty sauerkraut dish like nothing else can—this combination is symbiosis at its finest. 


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France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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