Wines of the Week

2008 Riesling Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg, Meyer-Fonné

With respect to the Grands Crus of Alsace, there is certainly a premier, second and third division. In this hierarchy, no one is making a more rapid climb than Wineck-Schlossberg. This unrivalled development is due to the skill and dedication of (relatively) young producers such as Meyer-Fonné, Bernhard and Klur, all in Katzenthal. To addition to this group, others such as the likes of Paul Blanck and J.B. Adam make a very important contribution to the reputation of W-S.

2008 Riesling Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg from Meyer-Fonné in Katzenthal has superbly clean aromas of almonds, mango, smoke and minerals. The taste is medium-bodied, generous, and succulent with loads of mature fruit in addition to wonderful acidity and structure that leads to an extraordinary finish. My gosh! Price: € 13,50.

2008 Pinot Gris, René Etienne et Simonis

Over the last few years I have advocated the key principle that if a producer has a bit too slender Riesling, one will love his Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. And vice versa . Etienne Simonis is one exception to this rule, because all his wines have a good structure and body without turning falling into the trap of heaviness, clumsiness or too much residual sweetness.

2008 Pinot Gris from René Etienne et Simonis in Ammerschwihr has developed and rich aromas of chocolate and pistachio. It is powerful and fruity, and offers a dry taste with an almost sandy structure and a good bite of acidity. Fabulous on the table for no money at all. Price: € 5.60.

1990 Riesling Patergarten, Paul Blanck

In 1985, the cousins Philippe and Frédéric Blanck took over after brothers Marcel Blanck and Bernhard Blanck, sons of Paul Blanck. Thereby, they became part of a tradition starting in 1610 when Austrian Hans Blanck made his first wines in Alsace. Thus, this wine is part of the unrivalled Alsatian tradition of family viticulture, more than ever the basis of the commercial success and the increasingly environmentally oriented commitment that prevails all the way from Thann in the south to Marlenheim in the north.

1990 Riesling Patergarten from Paul Blanck in Kientzheim offers fresh, candied lemons, white flowers, honey and tar (!) on the nose. The taste is silky and supple with superb structure (tartaric acid) and freshness combined with lovely fruit that still, after more than 20 years of cellaring, coats the mouth. This is life! Price (of current vintage): €12.

2008 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sporen, Frédéric Engel

Currently, a new wine legislation is implemented in France. In Alsace, this means that for every Grand Cru, it will specifically be determined which grapes will be allowed. With respect to Grand Cru Sporen, it will be easy to decide on Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris, more to discuss regarding Riesling while Muscat will not stand a chance. For Schoenenbourg in the same village, Riesling is the ultimate grape but personally, I'm also hoping for Muscat. What a mess it can be! And unfortunately, we dare not believe that terroirs such as Grands Crus Vorbourg, Gloeckelberg, Frankstein and Kirchberg de Ribeauvillé will get right to the Grand Cru Pinot Noir. Or?

2008 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sporen from Frédéric Engel in Riquewihr has a discrete, wonderful scent of roses, cardamom and luke-warm pineapple. The taste is moderately fruity, medium-bodied and supple with some sweetness, a hint of bitterness. It is wonderfully clean and has firm acids that provide both freshness and structure. The definition of an elegant wine! Price: € 10.

2007 Riesling Ostenberg, Etienne Loew

Riesling is a grape that can present a wide palette of aromas, from green apple and citrus aromas to honey, pineapple and floral aromas. The fragrances originate from a group of chemicals called terpenes, and there are six such substances which together dominate the scent palette of young Riesling. What we actually experience is the cumulative effect of these substances, not the compounds individually. In the must, terpenes are highly bound to glycosides but are partially released by fermentation. The higher the pH in the fermentation is, the more terpenes are released, adding to the olfactory structure of the wine. Therefore, the berries' must need to be ripe for the aroma to become rich and complex.

2007 Riesling Ostenberg by Etienne Loew in Westhoffen has a developed and complex aroma of orange blossom, ginger and honey. The flavour is rich, mild and supple with a mature and pleasant acidity that slowly evolves on the palate. A wine from oolitic limestone from the Jurassic period which is very similar both in terms of geological origin and aromatic character to a Altenberg de Bergheim. Price: € 10.

2008 Pinot Gris Cuvée des Seigneurs, Eblin-Fuchs

Zellenberg is a strangely located village, and it looks like it has landed from above on a hill, surrounded by vineyards. The village itself is very quiet, but some six producers have their premises in Zelleberg, all but two next to the Route du Vin. Geologically, the village sits on a slobof Bundsandstein about 240 million years old, which 40 million years ago was tilted over end on top of younger geological strata. Zellenberg have their own high-class terroirs, such as Grand Cru Frohn, a piece of Grand Cru Schoenenbourg and several Lieux-dits, but all producers also have land in Hunawihr, Riquewihr or both.

2008 Pinot Gris Cuvée des Seigneurs from Eblin-Fuchs has golden yellow color with a slight red tone. The scent is fresh and completely without disturbing fungal elements and offers apricot, chocolate and smoke. The taste is just over medium bodied with firm acidity and an excellent backbone that makes the impression dry and dense. An unusually personal, refreshing and useful Pinot Gris! Price: € 7.25.

2007 Pinot Blanc Auxerrois, Henry Fuchs

Auxerrois is not a grape you search out because of a characteristic aroma but primarily for a) its taste, and b) its usefulness. But although 7% of the Alsace vineyards are planted with this relative to Chardonnay, it may not be sold under its own name in Alsace and it is normally blended with, and sold as, Pinot Blanc. The structure of the taste is similar to a Chardonnay from Macon: relatively fat, moderate acidity and all in all a wine that matches all kinds of food, white meat as well as fish dishes. And many producers will testify that this as what they put on their own table, day after day.

2007 Pinot Blanc Auxerrois from Henry Fuchs in Ribeauvillé has a very floral, fresh and complex aroma of lilacs, peaches, walnuts, flint and Bassets Allsort. The taste has a very good attack, is dry and crisp, yet offers both substance and weight and a very pleasant salinity. A very good wine from a revived domaine! Price: €5.20

2008 Pinot Blanc Auxerrois, Martin Schaetzel

One of the virtues of Riesling is that it does need to be boosted by oak in any form. Intstead, the wines made from the worlds' best variety are by nature complex, pure and fruity. Auxerrois, however, is a bit anonymous and had low acidity and picks up som volume from the oak. in addition to Martin Schaetzel producers such as Stirn, Kubler, Lissner and Beck-Hartweg manage to carefully integrate the structure and the vanilla of the oak into their Auxerrois.

2008 Pinot Blanc Auxerrois from Martin Schaetzel has a golden and dense appearance. The generous nose offers warm apple crumb, crème brulée with a generous dose of vanilla and tropical fruits. The taste is perfectly balanced and well structured with mango notes, a slight bitterness resembling yellow grapefruit (pamplemousse) and surprising minerality. A great example of how ageing on oak (élevage en barrique) add qualities to the Auxerrois. Price: € 7.60

2005 Riesling Grand Cru Kastelberg Vielles Vignes, Guy Wach

Have you heard of Guy Wach and Domaine des Marronniers? If not, you're in good company, because of all the top producers in Alsace, Guy Wach is the most discrete. Maybe it's because his firm is small and situated in Andlau, the village with three celebrated Grands Crus, including the absolute pinnacle - Grand Cru Kastelberg. Kastelberg consists of shale that is rich in easily dissolved salts. The soil heats up easily, while clay minerals which are interspersed in the shale layers hold a lot of water that prevents the maturation from being blocked in periods of drought, propertis that make the grapes ripen perfectly every year.

2005 Riesling Grand Cru Kastelberg Vielles Vignes is golden yellow and viscous. The aroma is complex and developed with a little botrytis, anise, smoke, honey, ginger, roasted almonds and Christmas spices. The flavour is full bodied with some sweetness, crisp and supple acidity and a very long finish. A wine with rare complexity! Price: € 15.

2007 Edelzwicker Sélection du Gourmet, Emile Herzog

Say "Edelzwicker" and many will frown. But although most Edelzwicker are wines that are offered on 1-liter bottles almost for free, it is wrong to generalise. Because one can make Edelzwicker in many ways and with varying level of ambitions. At worst, it is hard-pressed must from high yield sites on the Plaine d'Alsace. But better is, if it is done from surplus, high quality must for which the vat intended lacked space, or - as in this case - if it is deliberately made from co-planted grapes, grown in a well-tended vineyard with a reasonable yield.

2007 Edelzwicker Sélection du Gourmet from Emile Herzog Turckhiem is made from Chasselas, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. The scent is fresh and peppery spicy but also contains green apple, apricot and hazelnut. The taste is clean and fresh with moderate body, youthful fruit and a hint of bitterness (from Gewurztraminer) in the finish. Lovely on the table! Price: € 5.60.

2009 Pinot Noir Strangenberg, Agathe Bursin

Not only is it a privilige to enjoy a tasting in the minimalistic living room of Agathe Bursin, to try a barrel sample of her extraordinary Pinot Noir is heaven. It is logical that the last couple of years, La Revue du Vin de France has selected her reds as being among the best of Alsace. It grows on Strangenberg, the hill which connects Grand Cru Vorbourg with Grand Cru Zinnkoepfle, where a calcareous bedrock and a protected exposure provide perfect conditions for Pinot Noir. 2009 Pinot Noir Strangenberg from Agathe Bursin in Westhalten bursts of varietal aromas: black cherries, burned rubber, blackberries, vegetables and Seville oranges. The taste has great volume and is saturated with fresh and vibrant fruit. A simply stunning barrel sample that will be released in June 2011 after 18 months on oak. Price: € 14.00.

2007 Muscat, Frey-Sohler

Sadly enough, the vineyards between St Hippolyte in the south and Mittelbergheim in the north do not catch the attention that they deserve. Maybe it is because ikonic wineproducers are missing. Nevertheless, many very good wines are produced here on granitic foothills that give relatively lightweight but well structured wines with a lot of finess, purity and character. 2007 Muscat Reserve from Frey-Sohler in Scherwiller is a 50/50 blend of Muscat Otonell and Muscat d'Alsace. The aroma is developed with pears, fresh grapes, white peppar and peaches. The taste is medium weight (to be a Muscat, that is) but sec, and well balanced with a nice backbone of tartric acid. A solid effort. Price: € 7.00.

2001 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Kanzlerberg, Sylvie Spielmann

Old Gewurztraminers do not die, they are just reborn. The young wine is often over the top with roses, red apples, banana and spices and a jammy sweetness on teh palate. But over time, the sweetness decreases in response to a polymerization reaction. At Grand Cru Kanzlerberg in Bergheim, Sylvie Spielmann shows off her great skill and creates long-lived, superb wines with superior backbone. 2001 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Kanzlerberg has a golden yellow color with green tints despite eight bottled. The aroma is lush and complex with honey, pepper, mint, apricots and millions of other scents. The taste is supple but elegant with a velvety structure and a mild sweetness balanced by fine acidity and a touch of bitterness. Price: € 16.00.

2007 Riesling Steinacker, Xavier Wymann

Located in the geological fracture zone, Ribeauvillé has a great variety of subsoil geologies. These range from the granite of St Ulrich, over sandstone, limestone and marl to the alluvial soils deposited a mere 15 000 years ago. This is were we find Steinacker, a stoney (quite logically), warm vineyard which yields ripe, open and early maturing Rieslings. 2007 Riesling Steinacker from Xavier Wymann has a an aroma of oranges, almonds, banana, licorice and anise. The taste is almost medium full, round, pleasant and honest with a fresh acidity on the finish. A good, no-nonsense drink. Price: € 6.80

2005 Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg, Jean Sipp

A good wine offers pleasure during their entire course of development. While it is true that storage makes the vast majority of wines better, all the basic qualities must be in place from the very beginning. Jean Sipp makes wines that are supple and inviting even as a young, without razor-sharp acidity or austere elements. Nevertheless, the wines of this hospitable domain develop great complexity and dignity with time , very typical and true to the terroirs of Ribeauvillé. 2005 Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg has a generous aroma of bitter orange, mango, star anise, artists' turpentine, pepper, caramel and wet gravel. The taste is smooth, fruity and elegant with lingering acidity acid, notes of refreshing grapefruit and a long, clean aftertaste. Bottled joy! Price: € 18

2006 Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg, Domaine Stirn

The renowned Grand Cru Schlossberg, the largest Grand Cru of Alsace, is a sought-after terroir for excellent Riesling and for Gewurztraminer. Above Schlossberg, we have Bois de Kientzheim, a dense forest which forms a terrific habitat for game such as deer and wild boar (fr. sanglier), some of which end up in the kitchen of St Alexis, a charming hunting lodge restaurant above Kayserberg that offers rustic and generous food. 2006 Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg from Domaine Stirn in Sigolsheim offers the honeyed, buttery concentration of the vintage in addition to figs, almonds, lemons and yellow apples on the nose. The taste is round and supple with a superb freshness, sufficient backbone, great purity and the minerality of the terroir on the finish. More exotic than the 2006 Grand Cru Brand. Price: €10.90.

2008 Muscat, Maurice Schoech

Almost all dry Muscat from Alsace is consumed very young. In its' childhood, the character of crushed grapes in the aroma is more than obvious, while the taste is light as a feather. Paradoxically, some cellaring makes the fruity aroma somewhat harder, reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire, while the taste becomes broader and filler. It is a wonderfully refreshing drink a warm spring evening, with or without the asparagus. 2008 Muscat from the low-key but skillful Maurice Schoech in Ammerschwihr brings red grapefruit, gooseberry and ripe pears on the nose. The flavor is rich with distinguished fruitiness in the middle and long, pronounced but ripe acids in a rather light, bone dry and firm body. Very well done! Price: € 7.00.

2007 Riesling Langgass, Emile Hertzog

In 2009, I was exploring the producers of Turckheim. Among them, they are quite few, I stumbled across Mme Hertzog, widow of the late Emile Hertzog who worked for INAO for several decades. Today, Mme Hertzog farms a mere 1.4 ha of prime vineyards, some of which are located in the garden of her suburban villa! Literally, this is a "garage vinery" and the 5000-7000 are bottled and labeled by hand. The vineyards are worked with horses and Mme Hertzog has state-of-the-art knowledge about every phase of the winemaking process. 2007 Riesling Langgass has ginger, apples and orange blossoms on the nose. The taste is so clean, so fresh and so homogeneous. A marvelous wine made by a remarkable woman! Price: € 7.60.

2006 Riesling Grand Cru Brand Vielles Vignes, Domaine Stirn

Fabien Stirn has all it takes to become one of the big names in Alsace: determination, knowledge, skills and a portfolio of grand terroirs. Working land in a handful of villages from Turckheim to Ribeauvillé and the Grands Crus Brand, Schlossberg, Mambourg (not in production yet) and Marckrain, he turns out focused wines with true terroir character. In 2006, he used the advantage of working permeable grantite soils to wait until the skies cleared mid-october to produce wonderful Rieslings with the remarkable richness and no trace of grey rot. 2006 Riesling Grand Cru Brand Vielles Vignes offers oranges, honey, coffee and roasted almonds on the nose. The taste is medium bodied, clearly off-dry with superb acidity, some lemon peels and a square, hard and rare minerality. Bravo! Price: € 10.90.

2007 Pinot Gris Herrenweg, Zind Humbrecht

Olivier Humbrecht is without doubt one of the world's most skilful winemakers, and for me, his ability to combine the natural, fruity character of aromatically perfect grape material with a high complexity is unique. To some extent, this is about balancing the reductive and oxidative processes from "débourbage" until the wine is poured into the wine glass, an art Olivier masters to perfection. 2007 Pinot Gris Herrenweg has a yellow straw color, a great scent with a lot of honey, clementines, toffee, raisins, nectarines, nuts and a touch of mushroom. The taste is powerful, almost hard, with a distinct sweetness (20 g/liter) that is overwhelmed by splendid acids and a sensation of minerality in the finish. Price: € 28.

2007 Riesling Muhlforst, Mader

The vintage 2007 was characterized by a very long autumn in which the grapes were able to develop a broad and complete aromatic palette without running the risk of being affected by harmful mold. There is no green tones, and the complexities can sometimes give an atypical - but wonderful - experience. 2007 Riesling from Muhlforst in Hunawihr has an amazingly deep yellow in color. The scent carries apple peel, saffron, chocolate, raisins and a sweet fragrance - Fruit & Almonds! The flavor is concentrated without being heavy, the structure is beautifully sandy without being bitter and the mature acids are long and firm. A surprisingly big wine to come from classically oriented Mader. Price: € 8.0.

2004 Gewurztraminer Bollenberg, Camille Braun

Gewurztraminer may - if the vineyard is optimal - mature with great dignity. Then the perfumed scent fades, and the high natural sugars melt down to become volume and body. Bollenberg in Orschwihr has a perfect micro-climate which allows the grapes to reach aromatic maturity before the sugar content becomes to high and the acidity too low. 2004 Gewurztraminer Bollenberg has an amazingly youthful, greenish color. The scent is a purebred, typical palette of ripe yellow apples, a little banana, hyacinth and ginger. The spicy taste is perceived to be dry with some salty licorice and silky but firm acids. A superbly balanced wine with only 7 grams of residual sugar and 4.5 g total acidity. Price: € 6.

Pinot Gris 2006, Guy Wach

If you are looking for a village tucked away from the tourists, with good restaurants and wines of unmatched diversity and outstanding quality, the Andlau is the place to go. Located in a small valley, tucked in between the three Grands Crus Moenchberg, Wiebelsberg and the great Kastelberg it is a one-stop place for all the temptations that the vineyards of Alsace can offer. The "musketeers" Kreydenweiss, Gresser and Wach are all top-notch producers in a dry, yet generous style. 2006 Pinot Gris is offers figs, apricots and hazelnuts on the nose. The taste is medium-bodied and only slightly sweet, with a square, focused acidity that is impressive for this difficult vintage. Price: € 8.

Riesling Grand Cru Sporen 2004, Scheidecker-Zimmerlin

A hefty rib with chili-infused ratatouille demands a wine with power and substance. Then we are looking for an odd, personal terroir in a hot amphitheater in the heart of Alsace. Sporen is a sun-drenched terroir with a marly soil poor in limestone which gives tremendous volume and moderate acidity, a distinctive vineyard that yields a wine with pronounced schizophrenic character - is it Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer? Riesling Grand Cru Sporen 2004, has developed a deep, exotic scent with dried apricots and roses. The taste is contradictory with minerality, great body and integrated sugar. A splendid wine revisited. Price: € 8.

2005 Riesling Grand Cru Goldert, Ginglinger-Fix

The most exciting feature of a wine is its ability to evolve over time. While maintaining its basic character, the aging wine gives new interpretations of all its properties, expressed in other ways and in different proportions in the young wine relative to the patinated wine. Over a few years, 2005 Riesling Grand Cru Goldert has gained more volume in the fragrance and more precision of flavor. Today, the scent is aromatic and flowery and intense with pineapple, figs and oranges. The agile flavor is complemented by the distinctive sandy minerality and delicate, but elegant and long acidity. A racy wine that borrows features from both Muscat and Gewurztraminer Price: € 9.80.

2007 Pinot Blanc, Christian & Véronique Hebinger

There are days when you do not want to think too much about finding the right wine for dinner. Those days you should bring out a bottle of Pinot Blanc, preferably with a sizeable dose of Auxerrois, which gives roundness and body. If this Pinot Blanc is from Eguisheim, you can be sure that the wine is tight, rich and well-made. In addition, if the name on the label is Hebinger, you should expect a wine of quality! 2007 Pinot Blanc has a nice aroma of lemon, yellow apple and a touch of cabbage. The taste is medium bodied, complex and completely dry with minerality and wonderfully refreshing acidity, which is firm without being green. A bit like a really good Grüner Veltliner, if the comparison is allowed. Price: € 5.50.

2005 Gewurztraminer Silberberg, Bechtold

Jean-Marie Bechtold is a strong personality with a strong and genuine commitment to the environment. In and around Dahlheim in northern Alsace he makes biodynamic wines in a very personal style. His hallmark is a special softness that brings out the subtle aspects of his grape material from the half dozen vineyards he carefully manages. 2005 Riesling Silberberg has a full and developed aroma with a spicy character of a genuine Indian curry, a hint of smoky rubber and ripe red apples. The taste is supple and caressing with nicely integrated sweetness within a well-balanced, almost medium-bodied taste. Price: € 8.50.

2008 Pinot Blanc, Bruno Sorg

It takes a lot of skill and dedication to make firm Pinot Blanc based on 80% Auxerrois. However, year after year, François Sorg puts his act together, spoiling his loyal clients with this charming wine that is perfect for the table. On the nose, 2008 Pinot Blanc is fresh and fruity with white peach, licorice, oranges and sun-ripe tomatoes from the garden. The taste is medium bodied and dry with a great mid-palate, zesty acidity and a very pure aftertaste with just a hint of bitterness which adds structure. This is by far the best edition of a wine with the highest ratio quality/price around. 2008 is a magic vintage! Price: €5.

2007 Riesling Rothstein, Clément Lissner

Although many producers are proud of their Grands Crus, their hears often belong to their beloved lieux-dits. This seems true for Hagel (Louis avens, Ribeauvillé), Muhlforst (Mader, Hunawhir), Gebreit (Rieffel, Mittelbergheim), Ostenberg (Loew, Westhoffen) and Rothstein (Lissner, Wolxheim). It is among these wines, you'll find the real gems in Alsace, unique wines with great personality. 2007 Riesling Rothstein has a developed and generous aroma of yellow apples, white raisins and figs paired with a smoky and flinty note. The taste is dry but full-bodied, with supple fruit paired with firm acidity and a wonderful minerality. Top! Price: €6.

2003 Pinot Noir Barrique, Koeberlé-Kreyer

No blue grape is so much favored by cellaring as Pinot Noir. It requires several years, but then the angular acids will give way and release the spiciness, generosity, and the smooth richness. 2003 Pinot Noir Barrique has a clear, ruby red pinot colour with a slightly orange edge. In the developed scent there are spicies, lingonberry jam (a creation more Swedish than meatballs) , buttered carrots and a hint of vanilla. The taste is medium-bodied with sweet fruit, quite dry with refreshing acidity and velvety tannins. A wine that makes one happy! € 9.35.

2008 Riesling Grand Cru Kaefferkopf, Maurice Schoech

Kaefferkopf is one of the most heterogeneous Alsace Grands Crus. Here there are clay soils on top of granite, and gravel from the granite on calcareous marl. Yet Kaefferkopf always a special freshness, a lemon-like and powerful personality as well as vibrant overtones. The tradition used to be that Kaefferkopf was sold in the form of Gewurztraminer with a small amount of Riesling, but since the terroir became Grand Cru in 2006 the pure Riesling wine has become more common. 2008 Riesling Grand Cru Kaefferkopf has a young, tight, but rich aroma of pineapple, lemon and white flowers. The taste is strong, fruity, with clean and firm acids that promise a long life. Powerful! € 12.

2001 Gewurztraminer Réserve, Leon Beyer

It is said that the wines from a particular producer is a reflection of his physiognomy. This is completely wrong. In contrast, the wines may reveal certain personality traits, such as a desire to experiment, perfectionism, traditionalism, and even anarchistic traits. The family firm Leon Beyer in Eguisheim makes classic wines that reflect the attitude of the family. They are extremely professional, orthodox and purposeful, while the wines are welcoming and generous in flavor, aroma and quality, but completely in the absence of populism. 2001 Gewurztraminer Réserve has a mature and complex fragrance of roses with Indian spices and preserved fruits. The taste is perfectly balanced with a hint of sweetness that complements superbly refreshing acidity. Price: € 14.

2004 Riesling Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg, Clément Klur

In recent years, Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg in the small village Katzenthal has earned better and better reputation thanks to ambitious producers such as Clément Klur, Meyer-Fonné, Jean-Marc Bernard and Paul Blanck. On Wineck Riesling dominates overall, and because the terroir does not favour botrytis, the wines are crystalline, fresh and classic. 2004 Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg-Wineck has an elegant, relatively open nose, with hints of herbs (oregano), candied lemons and green apples. The taste is smooth even though it is tight and balanced, with high acidity and a long fine aftertaste. Excellent with oysters! Price: €12.

2006 Pinot Blanc, Pfister

It is becoming increasingly common to use oak barrels for élevage of Pinot Blanc. This wine from Pfister in Dahlenheim is a clear suspect; the aroma is developed and nutty with great complexity. To get the oak treatment confirmed I checked with Mélanie Pfister who replied: "Pinot Blanc 2006 has been produced in stainless steel tanks, as all the other wines on the domain. The wine has spent time on its yeast deposit, which contributes to the rich palate. Pinot Blanc is flowery as young, but with time they develop nuttiness (which may bring to mind oak barrels) as well as an element of minerality." A very good wine that could have been mistaken for a Meursault, had it not been for the minerality in the aftertaste. Price: €8.

2005 Riesling Grand Cru Pfingstberg, Camille Braun

The only comfort that December brings is the ending of November, the opportunity to light candles and to uncork a bottle of summer. Camille Braun, located in Orschwihr, has received much and well-deserved attention from La Revue du Vin de France. This charming domaine offers a lot of class at very reasonable prices, regardless if you are a big importer or a private, visiting customer. 2005 Riesling Grand Cru Pfingstberg offers camphor, ripe yellow apples and kirsch on the nose. The taste is rich and full, yet the aftertaste has very good structure, great acidity and a sandy minerality. A winner! Price: € 10.

2008 Muscat, Laurent Barth

A single day on Ipanema Beach is enough to make one crave for Alsace Muscat. Not even Swedish November with chilly winds, gloomy darkness and unsurpassed humidity, can drive away the desire for this lovable and sun-drenched wine. 2008 Muscat is actually from the Grand Cru Schlossberg above Kientzheim despite its simple denomination and is - like all other wines from this Bennwihr-born personality - a miracle of purity and character. The aroma brings a cocktail of orange, apple and banana. The taste is amazingly rich and powerful, with tough acids, focused fruit and a long minty aftertaste. Just as a Caipirinha - only better. Price: € 9.

2007 Sylvaner Cuvée "Z", Eric Rominger

Tradition is great in Alsace, much stronger than the commercialism, opportunism and short-sightedness. Therefore, many producers cultivate "lesser" grapes in the best locations. Grand Cru Zinnkoepflé is ideal for the Sylvaner, and is highly valued in the twin villages Westhalten and Soultzmatt, which together with Mittelbergheim and some villages in northern Alsace (Westhoffen and Bergbieten) give great Sylvaner, by any standards. 2007 Sylvaner Cuvée "Z" has a dense but quite restrained aroma of peach, pineapple and wet wool. The taste is fruity, quite dry, medium-bodied with a typical bitterness in the long aftertaste. Price: € 11.

2007 Riesling Cuvée Speciale, Christian & Véronique Hebinger

As an amateur obsessed with wine, it is only too easy to focus solely on wines from the finest terroirs and the most written-about producers. But above all it is a grief that so many extremely well-made, personal and useful wines are overlooked by those who - rightly - visit Alsace. Perhaps it is within the gap between the basic cuvées and the Grands Crus that you may find the bargains that brings the most joy for money. 2007 Riesling Cuvée Spéciale is still very, very young and has an aroma which offers yellow apples, bananas, walnuts and chocolate. The taste is very tight, remarkably fresh with a restrained fruit that lingers in the well-structured aftertaste. Pure pleasure! Price: € 5.80.

2007 Riesling Tradition, Barmen Barmés

Overlooking Quarter Latin of Paris, we find Panthéon, a grand monument with a clear view of Tour Eiffel. One block down the street, on Rue St. Jacques there is a wonderful little Parisian wine shop, Caves du Panthéon, which has a tantalising selection of wines from France's small quality growers. Here you can buy the 2007 Riesling Tradition, a strictly biodynamic wine by Geneviève and François Barmès. The scent contains candied lemon, almond from Valencia and a warm, buttery tone of toffee. The taste is dry and amazingly complete, with a dense fruitiness of apples, pears, ripe yellow prunes and grapefruit. The acidity is ripe and fresh, accompanied by a model minerality that gives a sense of absolute purity in the finish. A wine at a high level despite the modest classification. Price: € 11.

2007 Riesling Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg, Jean-Marc & Frédéric Bernhard

The scientific research on wine has revealed the chemical compounds which give certain aromatic characteristics of white wines. For instance, the characteristic smell of "petroleum" is caused by 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalen, a derivative of carotene also known as TDN. The scent of citrus and ginger, however, come largely from 3,7-dimethyl-2-octen-1-ol, a typical commercially available component that is widely used in perfumes. But still, it will take long until one can identify what lies behind the character of "minerality", you know where the hard, salty, fresh and dry lingering feeling in the mouth when drinking fine Riesling. 2007 Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg-Wineck has a generous aroma of warm apples, cloves and sweet flowers. The taste is fruity, supple, rich and already complex with a minerality that remains half hour in the aftertaste. Wonderful and almost for free. Price: € 10.

2004 Riesling Silberberg, Willy Rolli-Edel

Take a careful look at the label - soon it will be history! Prehistory is that the domaine Rolly in 1947 was divided between two sons. After another generation, there were the "cousins" Rolli-Edel and Rolly-Gassmann. But due to lack of succession, Rolli-Edel is about to sublimate, the residual stock is sold out and the vineyards united again with those of Rolly-Gassmann. Silberberg, is one of many brilliant Rorschwihr Lieux-dits. Others are Kappelweg, Kugelberg, Muenchberg, Pflaenzerreben, and Stegreben (often far more personal than Grand Cru Gloeckelberg in the neighbouring village Rodern). 2004 Riesling Silberberg has a classic fragrance characterised by a fresh lemons and crushed rock - the hallmark of Silberberg - supplemented by butter-fried apples and honey. The taste is quite dry, almost "spritzig" with elegant citrus notes and a slightly bitter finish. Indeed far from the style of Rolly-Gassmann but very good! Price: € 6.50

2007 Sylvaner, Domaine Weinbach (Faller)

At the foot of Grand Cru Schlossberg, surrounded by Clos des Capucins, matriarch Colette Faller along with daughters Laurence (wine-maker) and Catherine make world-class wines. Year after year Domain Weinbach rises above what other producers do the same terroirs, which proves the greatness of the domaine. The wines exhibit amazing depth and density, outstanding body and balance, and are sublime one the nose and on the palate. In addition, since a few years the tendency of Domaine Weinbach is to aim for more restrained residual sugar levels. 2007 Sylvaner has a broad aroma of crushed grapes, rye-bread, spices and citrus. The taste is compact, with strikingly rich fruitiness in a medium rich body. Firm acids gives both spine and freshness, enhanced by a trace of characteristic bitterness. Perfect partner to butter-fried scallops. Price: € 12

2007 Pinot Noir, Bruno Sorg

While the world is flooded with highly extracted, red wines rich in alcohol with unclear storage potential, Alsace offers elegant, smooth Pinot Noir for every occasion. The Pinot Noir vineyard area is increasing rapidly, and the quality is elevated at all levels. 2007 Pinot Noir is very bright red. The open scent contains all the hallmarks of Pinot Noir; blueberry, strawberry, carrots in butter, bitter orange and a hint of rubber. The taste offers sweet fruit and elegant acidity, low-key but ripe tannins and sufficient tannins, in a medium-body. Aftertaste has fresh summer strawberries and excellent balance. Price: € 10.

2007 Riesling Thalberg, Roland Schmitt

Few producers offer so few products as the Schmitt family in Bergbieten. The list includes a mere 4 wines despite an annual output of 45 000 bottles from 10 hectares. It has long produced classic Riesling from Lieu-dit Glinzberg and from Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergbieten, Vielles Vignes and Cuvée Roland. But in 2007, an Riesling Thalberg was launched, and we now await the first wines from a newly purchased parcel on Grand Cru Engelberg in Dahlenheim. 2007 Riesling Thalberg has, after 18 months of development in the bottle, a complex aroma of lime, white flowers, nuts and passion fruit. The flavour harmonises perfectly with the aroma and is bone dry without being harsh, and it is rich without being the least heavy. A model wine from a sympathetic producer who always who never disappoints. Price: € 8.40.

2003 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg, Bechtold

The Grand Cru Engelberg finds itself on the summit of Mont Scharrach, located in the region called Couronne d'Or, the vineyard area west of Strasbourg. Engelberg rests on calcareous soil, which provides potent wine with excellent character and structure, regardless of variety. Here, Jean-Marie Bechtold crafts delicious wines in a truly personal style in which he achieves a brilliant combination of restrained, velvety softness, dryness and elegance. 2003 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg has an aroma of coffee, dark berries, liquorice, fennel and a slightly hot, exciting tone of Grand Marnier. The taste is velvety, juicy, medium full-bodied and quite dry with amazingly vivid fruit acidity in the aftertaste. A remarkably fresh 2003. Price: €10.50.

2007 Riesling, Domaine de l'Oriel Gérard Weinzorn

Claude Weinzorn has a passionate relationship to the wines of and the excellent terroirs located on the granite surrounding Niedermorschwihr. His yields is kept low, and the style is classically elegant in a focused and restrained style. ALL wines are delightful in their purity, and both grape character and the vineyard characteristics are fully expressed. 2007 Riesling is based on grapes from young (<30 years [sic!]) vines on the Grand Cru Sommerberg. The aroma is distinctly fruity with yellow apple, melon, clementine and flint. The palate has a fresh attack, it has a slightly less than medium body which is packed with fruit salad, while the finish has intense, almost saline, mineral tones. A terroir wine of high class. Price: € 7.50.

2008 Auxerrois, Clément Lissner

Auxerrois is most unknown grape, mainly because it usually mixed and sold in Pinot Blanc blends, more rarely pure in their own name. The variety stems from Gouais Blanc, a Croatian grape that have been crossed with varieties from the Pinot family to give rise to, among others, Chardonnay, Aligoté (the Kir base of Burgundy), Melon (Muscadet), Gamay (Beaujolais), and the almost extinct Alsatian variety Knipperlé. 2008 Auxerrois has a welcoming, complex aromas of melon, toasted pumpkin seeds and ripe pineapple. The taste is excellently well-balanced, with a fresh and lovely acidity that gives support to the beautiful peachy fruit. The aftertaste has a backbone of tartric acid, which provides structure and freshness, which is unusual for a Auxerrois. A superb wine, whatever yardstick, from one of Alsace's most interesting producers. Price: € 4.50.

2004 Pinot Noir Cuvée Théophile, Mader

Pinot Noir is the grape of Alsace, whose cultivated area is increasing most rapidly. A warmer climate, improved viticulture and progress in the cellar - many factors interact to allow production of full red wines from Alsace. Hence, today one finds many good examples of fruity but elegant, spicy Pinot Noir which must be taken seriously. 2004 Pinot Noir Cuvée Théophile from Hunawihr has a brilliant, bronze shimmering cherry color. The aroma is developed with strawberry/blueberry jam, embedded in lovely oak. The taste is medium bodied, offers velvety fruit with fine acidity and ripe tannins. The silky finish has some length and makes a perfect match with slices of butt of lamb off the grill, marinated in sherry and fresh herbs. A quality wine which many tasters would have placed in St Emilion. Price: € 11.

2007 Pinot Blanc "B", Albert Boxler

Jean Boxler in Niedermorschwihr makes Alsace's most captivating Pinot Blanc. The grapes originate from the Grand Cru Brand in neighboring Turckheim. Brand is always floral, fresh wine with a tight focus. Firmness is also a characteristic of Pinot Blanc. As well of the outstandingly talented Jean Boxler. The bottom line is that 2007 Pinot Blanc "B" is an aromatic wine with fresh herbs, white flowers and coconut in the formidable scent. The taste is as compact as the fist of a heavyweight boxer, with layers of ripe, peachladen fruit and a brutal but mature acidity, which leads to a refreshing minerality on the finish. A great wine with huge qualities. Price: € 11.

2002 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Pfersigberg, Charles Baur

Eguisheim has two excellent Grands Crus, Eichberg and in Pfersigberg, but it is the latter that provide the most focused wines. A Pfersigberg is never heavy or overblown, and should show discrete minerality and offers a fragrance of the red earth. Riesling and Gewurztraminer grapes are reference varieties, but Muscat fits at least as good, while Pinot Gris has not yet fully convinced on Pfersigberg. 2002 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Pfersigberg has a mature, complex but above all fresh scent with cinnamon, ginger, citrus, honeysuckle and raspberries. The palate is focused and elegant with a trace of vanilla and banana, minerality and zesty acids. The finish is dry due to a pinch of the typical bitterness. A model wine that gives credit to both Pfersigberg and the local style of Eguisheim. Price: € 14

2005 Riesling Bruderbach Clos de Frères, Etienne Loew

Westhoffen is a village gifted with many types of soils and bedrock. Side by side with classic muschelkalk, one finds white, read and green marl on the ridges that surround the village, forming a protective amphitheater with a stable climate without extremes. 2005 Riesling Bruderbach Clos de Frères grows on calcareous sand with marbles of muschelkalk and dolomite, CaMg(CO₃)₂. The aroma is developed with dates, honey, citrus and a toasted aroma reminding of coffee. This toasted character is also in the flavor which is long, medium-full, elegant and fruity. The acidity develops on the palate and finishes high and crispy, a fingerprint of an Alsace terroir rich in alkaline substances. Price: € 8,20

2004 Muscat Grand Cru Brand Cuvée Aurélie, Armand Hurst

Grand Cru Brand rises as a steep amphitheater above Turckheim. This hot pot rests on relatively easily weathered granite bedrock with very good drainage. Therefore Brand excels during cool years with a long autumn. Riesling wine from Brand are floral and has an elegance that brings to mind Muscat, while Muscat instead have profound depth and can withstand long storage. 2004 Muscat Grand Cru Brand Cuvée Aurélie has a developed, creamy aroma with mint, roasted almonds and honey, which brings to mind sweet half sibling such as Moscatel de Setúbal and Muscat Beaumes-de-Venice. The taste is totally dry but juicy with superb minerality in the aftertaste. A wine loaded with power but only a little alcohol - to the ridiculous price! Price: € 9.50.

2007 Pinot Blanc, Roland Schmitt

Riesling, of course, is the grape that most clearly of all reflects its terroir. But for the truly talented vinmakarna, particularly those working biodynamic, and some vineyards all wines exhibit the intrinsic features of the terroirs, regardless of variety. Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergbieten and surrounding vineyards always make a clear and unique imprint, even on the Sylvaner and Muscat. The calcareous marl and the relatively cool climate wines with the flesh, freshness, finesse and vitality. 2007 Pinot Blanc is a fruity fragrance with a touch of fennel and citrus. The taste is medium full-bodied, firm but juicy with a typical and obvious taste of yellow, ripe grapefruit. A wine with class. Price: € 5.50.

2005 Muscat Les 3 Demoiselles, Pfister

Muscat is grown on less then 3% of the viticultural area, and this dry wine does not get the attention it deserves. While the grower struggle with inconsistent flowerings and yields, the average visitor to the area skips Muscat when visiting the producers. However, those of us that acknowledges that Alsace Muscat is a serious, unique, versatile, seductive, and interesting wine with loads of quality and personality, we just can't get enough of it. 2005 Muscat Les 3 Demoiselles has multi dimensional aroma where crushed grapes, kirsch, Cointreau, toffee and nuts. The taste has great definition, firmness, structure and firm acidity, while a moderate (12.5%) of alcohol is perfectly embedded. A serious wine made by a rising star. Price: €10

2002 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst, Josmeyer

This world-class wines is the result of the amalgamation of the most exuberant grape variety, the most self-minded terroir and one of the most skillful wine producers in Alsace. Hengst is a terroir on cold, oligocene marl which gives acidity and focus, and the extremely sunny and dry microclimate allows the grapes to mature gracefully under the clear October skies. Hence, 2002 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Hengst has a complex aroma of ginger, exotic spices, honey, apricots and wild flowers. The taste is full and ripe with a superior structure, zesty acidity and sweet dry fruits that create an aftertaste that lasts forever. Marvelous! Price: €25.

2005 Muscat Bollenberg, Camille Braun

Bollenberg is located on a ridge, connecting Westhalten and Orschwihr. This lieu-dit gives rich wines with obvious varietal character, charm and class and the growers match the many micro-climates with each grape. Nevertheless, the prices of the Bollenberg are so low that one becomes embarrassed. 2005 Muscat Bollenberg is a pure Muscat Ottonnel. The aroma is not only peach lade, but does also offer honey, licorice and the delightful fruitiness that is a hall-mark of Muscat. The taste is compact and medium bodied, with splendid acidity and the hint of bitterness that goes so well with asparagus. A real treat! Price: €6.00

2007 Pinot Gris, Roland Schmitt

Alsace wines can either be fully dry or carry various levels of residual sugar. The "detection limit" for sugar is ca 4 gram/liter, but if the level of acidity is high (as in many Riesling wines) 10 gram/liter may pass unnoticed. However, regardless of sugar level, all wines from Alsace should be fresh, lively and balanced, never flat, heavy or dull. 2007 Pinot Gris from Roland Schmitt in Bergbieten has an aroma, typical for the grape; orange marmalade, smoke and apricots. The taste is medium bodied with notes of rhubarb pie and pineapple, superior freshness, minerality and an almost dry finish. A lovely wine for the table that will gain complexity over several years. Price: €7.00

1999 Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg, Louis Sipp

The vintage 1999 is just as underrated as 2000 is overrated, at least for those of us that love firm, classic, pure, long-lived and velvety Riesling that make the heart beat. Etienne Sipp makes nothing but excellent wines, with a fabulous ability to chisel out the most important feature of a great wine: balance. 1999 Riesling Grand Cru Kirchberg has a fully developed aroma of arrack, chalk, wild strawberries, turpentine, ripe apples and candied lemons. The taste is medium-bodied, fruity and clean, and the wine coats the mouth with sweetness without sugar and tartness without any bitterness. The finish is long, full of the Ribeauvillé minerality and really, really good. Price: € 14.50.

Riesling Muhlforst 2002, Mader

Muhlforst is a lieu-dit in Hunawihr, covering over 80 ha next to Ribeauvillé. The vineyards face south-east, and the terroir is dominated by marl, rich in lime. Muhlforst is one of the most reliable lieux-dits in Alsace, playing in the same league as Bildstoecklé, Bihl, Bollenberg, Rotenberg and Herrenweg. Riesling Muhlforst 2002 has a complex nose of grapefruit, with a trace of honey and lemon. The taste is bone dry, with layers of pure fruit, some apples, superb minerality and coarse aftertaste that one also finds in the neighbouring Schoenenbourg. A wine that, just like all others from Mader, is a model for classic Alsace wines for the table as well as for the cellar. Price: € 8

Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Mandelberg 2006, Scheidecker-Zimmerlin

Vintage 2006 is heaven or hell, with rot or concentration. Grand Cru Mandelberg is also heaven or hell, either square or sublime. Gewurztraminer is certainly heaven or hell, with generous charm or boring stickiness. 2006 Gewurztraminer Mandelberg is only heaven. The aroma shows breed with smoke, coriander, roses and the hint of banana that characterizes Gewurztraminer that benefit from cellaring. The taste is quite full, with freshness, complexity, depth and a long, lingering aftertaste that is a perfect match for a real, homemade curry. A great personality! Price: € 10

2005 Muscat Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg, Vincent Spannagel

Katzenthal has 21 wine producers, all small and several quality conscious. Here, the prices are low, the doors are open and the hospitality unsurpassed. Vincent Spannagel is the only producer that offers a Muscat from the cool granite of Wineck-Schlossberg, made from wines of Muscat Ottonel and Muscat d'Alsace planted as lateliqourish as in the year 2000. 2005 Muscat Grand Cru Wineck-Schlossberg has a big, striking aroma of crushed grapes, mint, apples and liquerish. The taste is mouthfilling with plenty with a lot of substance, clean and fresh acidity, and a touch of bitterness (from Muscat d'Alsace) that adds character to the wine. A wine that proves that for Muscat, 1+1=3. Price: € 10.

2007 Riesling Stein, André Rohrer

Even though the trend had begun to swing towards less sugary wines, puritans may turn with confidence to André Rohrer in Mittelbergheim. Here the wines will qualify for any GI diet, yet they all have rich and mature fruit and clearly show the signs of the terroir. Lieu-dit Stein is situated in the very south, below the village on limestone (acidity), protected from the cooling winds (maturity). On the nose, 2007 Riesling Stein offers oranges and lime, toast, pesto and time. The taste is bone dry, almost medium bodied with a peppery acidity that backed up by velvety fruit. The aftertaste is absolutely pure and very, very elegant. A stylish produce from a merry vintner! Price: € 7.

1999 Riesling Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim, Charles Koehly

On the New Year of 2009, Charles Koehly left this world, far to early. Since the early 1970's, this bold and dedicated entrepreneur developed a successful domain, representing the dynamic tradition of Alsace family estates. The house style is classic, crisp and charming. 1999 Altenberg de Bergheim has a big, generous aroma of lilic, petrol, honey, nutmeg and the inimitable scent of orange tree flowers. The taste is light, elegant and clean with a greenish, apply component that gives the wine freshness and personality. A wine that is truly french, the best mark a wine can get. Price: €11.50.

Gewurztraminer Gesetz 2007, Domaine Lucas & André Rieffel

Lucas Rieffel is a young vigneron who is very well known and respected, all over Alsace. Since a decade, he makes well balanced, elegant wines with profound environmental concern, and the various terroirs in the communes of Andlau, Barr and Mittelbergheim. Gewurztraminer Gesetz 2007 offers an aroma of spices and banana, indicating the the wine will develop complexity after a few years of cellaring. The taste includes apricot and pineapple, and is mellow and slightly sweet without being sticky. The sugar will be integrated in a few years, and leave room for a focused variatal character. Superb craftsmanship and a promising future. Price: €8.

Riesling Hinterberg 2002, Audrey & Christian Binner.

Biodynamic viticulture, naturally controlled yield and vinification based on care in every step is not just a trend, it is becoming normal for quality conscious producers. The young couple Binner in Ammerschwihr belongs, with Pierre Frick and Bruno Schueller also to a small group that avoids adding sulphur at all. Riesling Hinterberg 2002 offers a giant aroma of white flowers, almonds, honey and candied lemons. The taste is precise with a palette of citrus flavors, saltiness and a minerality that is dressed in superb acidity. I wonderfully chiseled wine the elegance of which resembles that of the neighboring Florimont. Price: €12.

Pinot Gris 2007, Clément Lissner

With Riesling it is simple, the greater the terroir the greater the wine. With Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer it is more complex; the generic wines from less exposed terroirs often provide the most wonderful drinks in the hands of skilled winemakers. The wines crafted by Bruno Schloegel, who runs domaine Clément Lissner in Wolxheim with its' highly specific terroirs, proves this point. Pinot Gris 2007 has a lovely, pure aroma of burning hardwood, pear and quince. Not a trace of rot in sight. The taste is full but not heavy, with a purity and freshness that challenges any Pinot Gris in Alsace. The essence of Nature, put into a bottle! Price: € 5.50

Cuvée 8 2006, Domaine Pfister

In Alsace there are several young and skilled female winemakers, e.g. Agathe Bursin (already legendary), Eliane Ginglinger (top-notch Riesling Grand Cru Goldert) and Mélanie Pfister, born in 1981. Following internships at Zind-Humbrecht, Méo-Camuzet and Cheval Blanc, Mélanie has taken on the challange to transfer the concept of making serious multi-variety wines from Bordeaux to Alsace. Cuvée 8 2006 includes Gewurztraminer that brings volume and spicyness to the nose, Pinot Gris that contributed with body, complexity and champignons (at least in 2006), Muscat that gives elegance, and Riesling that stands for freshness and the tartric acid that guarantees structure and backbone. Well made and perfect on the table! Price: € 10

Riesling Grand Cru Sporen 2004, Scheidecker-Zimmerlin

"Rouille" is a delicious and very french sauce, that comes in as many versions as there are households. When made from bread, red grilled bell peppar, fresh chillies, garlic, egg yolk and olive oil, it is perfect to a rich fish soup and a full bodied Riesling. Riesling Grand Cru Sporen 2004 offers candied lemons, coffee and smoke on the nose. The taste is generous but still has minerality supplemented by honey, fruit salad and integrated residual sugar. A very personal XXL-Riesling that thinks that it is a Gewurztraminer. Price: € 8.

Pinot Gris 2006 'Les Perles Rares', Domaine Laurent Vogt

The village Wolxheim, located some 15 km due west of Strasbourg, hosts many inspired producers that have access to several high-class soil types. But even on the greatest terroirs, selection is everything, especially in difficult years such as 2006. Pinot Gris 2006 "Les Perles Rares" is golden in color and has, despite of the vintage, a lovely fresh and pure aroma of clementine, roasted almonds and quince. Despite the residual sugar, the taste is fresh and long with an elegance, saltiness and minerality that resembles a Palo Cortado sherry. Price: € 7.50.

Pinot Blanc Réserve Bergheim 2004, Sylvie Spielmann

From Bergheim and north, Auxerrois is the main component in wines sold as Pinot Blanc. Sylvie Spielmann has the ability to craft vibrant, complex Auxerrois without any of teh heavyness sometimes associated with this early maturing grape. Although Sylvie uses an old chain-driven press, her grape material is first class and her ideals classic in every sense. Pinot Blanc Réserve Bergheim 2004 has a fruity aroma with pear and banan as well as white flowers and mint. The taste is medium-bodied, supple and juicy which feels complete on the palate, offers a wonderfully balanced acidity and a noughty touch of grapefruit bitterness in the finish. Price: &euro: 9.50

Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Mandelberg 2006, Scheidecker-Zimmerlin

Mandelberg in Mittelwihr is an unpredictable but sun-drenched terroir, where the heavy, cold soil of which yields monolithic, unpolished but complex wines with high levels of acidity. Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Mandelberg 2006 is deep golden yellow, like a VT or a SGN. The aroma is saturated with heather rather than roses, apricots rather than lichee, and a seducing touch of almonds. The taste is based on figs, pears and raisins, with the typical bitterness on the finish. Thank you! Price: € 10

Sylvaner Rosenberg Vielle Vigne 2005, Barmès Buecher

Even if Sylvaner lacks a 'fingerprint' charcteristic, on the nose as well as on the palate, this historic variety does indeed give harmonous wines with a wide use. Sylvaner Rosenberg Vielle Vigne 2005 is a biodynamic wine made by one of the stars of Alsace, and offers warm plums, raspberries, toffee and vanilla on the nose. The taste is medium full with a bit of barrique feeling, fresh and complex with some pear and a trace of bitterness, while the finish offers surprising length and superb acids. Impressive! Price: € 8

Pinot Blanc Gebreit 2005, Lucas & André Rieffel

Gebreit is a vineyard situated on a plateau between two of the Grands Crus of Andlau; Kastelberg and Wiebelsberg. Here, the must gets richness and acidity enough to carry up to a year on oak. Pinot Blanc Gebreit 2005 has an intense aroma with vanilla and black licorice. The taste is fruity and supple with a hint of pineapple on top of a rich, creamy structure with fresh acids and some bitterness in the finish. A biodynamic wine in the style of a Chardonnay. Price: € 7

Riesling Grand Cru Kaefferkopf 2007, René and Etienne Simonis

After a shift in responsibility in 1996, young Etienne manages the lovely vineyards Vogelgarten (Sigolsheim), Grand Cru Marckrain (Bennwihr) and Grand Cru Kaefferkopf with high ambitions; late harvest, low yields and ambitious vinification. Riesling Grand Cru Kaefferkopf 2007 has a big, fresh, up-front aroma, supported by relatively high levels of volatiles. The taste is firm and tight with brilliant minerality and the obnoxious loveliness of the terroir. A great success with outstanding potential from a classic terroir. Price: € 10

Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 2000, Josmeyer

In the 2008 edition of Les Meilleurs Vin de France, The Best Wines of France, the Revue du Vin de France awards two out of three stars to Josmeyer. Other domaines on this level are Lynch-Bages, Le Pin and Selosse. Riesling Grand Cru Hengst 2000 has a complex, powerful aroma of honey, some petrol, honey, spring flowers and red grapefruit. The taste has a huge volume, layers of layers of sophisticated fruit, traces of botrytis and eternal finish. World class. Unforgettable. Perfect. Price: € 26.

Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg 2003, Jean-Marie Bechtold

The summer of 2003 was extremely hot and the acidity levels fell drastically already in September, leaving many Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris without sufficient grip to carry the residual sugar. But there are exceptions! Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg 2003 has an aroma of rhubarb and slightly burned fruit-sauce. The taste is like velvet, quite full with figs and toffée, supported by a backbone of lovely acidity, typical for the terroir, and a trace of bitterness. Great craftsmen-ship from Dahlenheim! Price: €10.50.

Gewurztraminer Bollenberg 2004, Camille Braun

Bollenberg in Orschwihr is an important lieu-dit that would deserve rank as 'premier cru', if such a classification existed. The wines of Bollenberg are, regardless of producer, focused, never blowzy and posses textbook grip and 'fraicheur'. Gewurztraminer Bollenberg 2004 is light golden. Lilies, banana and turpentine add complexity to the nose. The primary taste offers vanilla ice cream, while the finish is dominated by firmness and licorice. No trace of sticky sweetness. Camille Braun has done it again! Price: € 7.60.

Riesling Bruderbach 2004, Etienne Loew

This young wine-maker continues to impress with a homogeneous range of wines on an extraordinary high level. Regardless of grape variety or type of terroir, Etienne Lowe manages to convey personality into every wine he makes. Riesling Bruderbach 2004 glows in deep greenish gold. The aroma offers yellow apples, pears, figs and a whiff of arrack.The taste is fruity with melon, mature apples and red grapefruit, a full mid-palate, great balance and superb acids. The finish reveals undeveloped minerality. Price: € 8.20

Klevner Vielles Vignes 2005, Lucas & André Rieffel

Mittelbergheim hosts many young and serious, ecologically oriented producers that develop the potential of the vineyards with great determination. One of these is Lucas Rieffel who enjoys a strong reputation among peers all over Alsace. Klevner Vielles Vignes 2005 is made from grapes of 80 year old vines of Auxerrois. The aroma is powerful and spicy with hard-knit fruit. The taste is quite full and dry, the fruitiness is compact, and the long aftertaste is a bit herbal and square. A great success! Price: € 6.20

Riesling Grand Cru Altenberg de Wolxheim 2001, Laurent Vogt

Wolxheim is a calm and charming viticultural village, situated beneath the Madonna statue on top of Altenberg and Horn. Here, you have many possibilities to find splendid Riesling that need many years of ageing to show its potential. Riesling Grand Cru Altenberg de Wolxheim 2001 has a mature aroma of acacia, lime, some red currant and petrol. The taste offers liquerice, minerality and the fullflavoured fruit that comes with maturity. A splendid example of the small miracles offered by the family domaines of Alsace. Price: € 7.20.

Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg 1999, Maurice Heckman

Dahlenheim, located 20 km due west of Strasbourg, hosts at least three very good producers, all making classic dry wines for the table. The Grand Cru, Engelberg, gives wines that resemble those from Altenberg de Bergheim; floral, smooth wines with an acidity that develops on the palate. Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg 1999 is mature and floral on the nose, with Sevilla oranges and terpentine. The taste is medium bodied and dry without being lean. The finish offers a taste of fresh grapes, some melon and a trace of bitterness. Price: € 8

Pinot Gris 2005, André Rohrer

Mittelbergheim is not only one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France, the calm streets are lined with ancient buildings and young winemakers with ambitions. André Rohrer makes dry but firm wines that are certified according to INAO's Agriculture Biologique. Pinot Gris 2005 is golden with apricots, pineapple and nuts on the nose. The taste has a fresh attack, is full on mid-palate and offers a clean finish. Dry enough, despite 10 grams/liter of residual sugar. Price: € 5.50

Pinot Gris Clos Windsbuhl 2006, Zind-Humbrecht.

Olivier Humbrecht is one of the globally most important and renowned winemakers, and he stretches his art to the limit. While other serious producers press for 4 hours, clarify the must during 48 hours and avoid malo-lactic transformation, Humbrecht presses for 18 hours, limits clarification to 4 hours and allows all wines to pass malo-lactic. 2006 Pinot Gris from the tiny Clos Windsbuhl, overlooking Hunawihr, is so pure, so focused, so elegant and so complete that no words can do it justice. Price: € 45.

Pinot Gris Cuvée Précieuse 2002, Pierre Frick.

Some 25 years ago, Jean-Pierre Frick in Pfaffenheim pioneered biodynamic viticulture in Alsace. And Frick continues to challenge, eliminating sulfur in the vinification process and using beer bottle caps for all his wine. Pinot Gris Cuvée Précieuse 2002 has a golden tint and a complex aroma of almonds, smoke and orange jam. The taste is full and fucused with character and personality, and an acidity that carries 16 gram/liter residual sugar without effort. Price: € 9.50

Riesling Grand Cru Osterberg 2004, Joggerst.

Osterberg yields powerful, multi-dimensional wines with an abundance of the minerality so characteristic for Ribeauvillé. Riesling Grand Cru Osterberg 2004 from Joggerst has a yet restrained nose with smoke and loads of fruit. The taste has good attack, surprising power, perfect balance and a long, clean aftertaste with yummy, almost sandy minerality. Deserves its gold medal from Riesling du Monde 2006. Price: € 12,40

Muscat Grand Cru Marckrain 2004, Barth René.

Marckrain is a misunderstood Grand Cru with obvious potential, currently demonstrated by brilliant producers such as Michel Fonné (René Barth), Fabien Stirn och Laurenth Barth. Muscat Grand Cru Marckrain 2004 from Barth René has a forward nos with dominated by peaches, som banana, mint and grapes. The taste is supple, fresh och complex with fabulous minerality. A perfect wine to go with asparagous and sauce Hollandaise. Price: € 10.

Riesling Jubilee 2001, Hugel.

Hugel is the most influential producer in Alsace and their top Riesling is the benchmark. Riesling Jubilee Hugel 2001 origins from Grand Cru Schoenenbourg in Riquewihr, a legendary vineyard on gypsum and marl. The nose is developed oozing with honey, some lemon but also pineapple and peach. The taste is mature, more than medium bodied, rich and harmoniuous with grape, some minerality and velvety acidity. Price: € 21.

Riesling Grand Cru Moenchberg 2002, Guy Wach.

Within the boundaries of the hidden village Andlau one finds three superior Grands Crus with diverse characteristcs; Kastelberg (shist), Wiebelsberg (sandstone) and the illusive Moenchberg (lime topsoil on granite). While famous for its' amazing Pinot Gris, the geology of Muenchbergs yields Rieslings that combine fruitiness with focus. Riesling Grand Cru Moenchberg 2002 from Guy Wach offers kiwi, papaya and citrus, and a succulent taste with some minerality and a lovely bitterish attack. The taste is even more complex than the aroma. Price: €10.85

Riesling Grand Cru Goldert 2005, Ginglinger-Fix.

Goldert may be the most well protected of all the Grands Crus of Alsace and is famed for perennial success of Muscat and Gewurztraminer. Grown on calcareous soil overlooking the Rhine, this Riesling Grand Cru Goldert 2005 is beautifully crafted by Eliane Ginglinger in Voegtlinshoffen. The promising nose is tempting with candied lemon, mature exotic fruits and a hint of honey. The taste is full but focused, daring but dry, fresh with a trace of grapefruity bitterness, characteristic minerals and seducive fruit. Pure quality. Price: € 9.80.

Muscat d'Alsace 2004, Frédéric Engel.

Muscat from Alsace is the ideal companion of the first asparagous soup of the season. With its' bitterish character, typical for Riquewihr, it disarms the umami-flavours of the beloved primeur. Muscat d'Alsace 2004 from Frédéric Engel has, at 4 years of age, attained a level of maturity where a youthful charm has been replaced by character and complexity. The taste is try, yet quite full, offering oranges, liquorice and mint. A solid wine that conveys the charm and joy of an entire region. Price: €6.

Riesling Altenberg de Bergheim 1995, Gustave Lorentz.

In their youth, the wines from Altenberg de Bergheim are firm and fresh with a distinct scent of oranges. With time they fill out and gain richness, body and splendid charm. Riesling Altenberg de Bergheim 1995 (still for sale at the domaine) from Gustave Lorentz offers citrus and diesel on the nose but especially vanilla, passion fruit, cinnamon and cloves. The taste is seducive and silky but still zesty and juicy with admireable acidity. Sigh... Price: €30.

Gewurztraminer Kaefferkopf 2004, Audrey & Christian Binner.

Binner in Ammerschwihr makes dry, biodynamic wines. Gewurztraminer Kaefferkopf 2004 from Audrey & Christian Binner spent 11 months "sur lie" before it was bottled without filtering. The nose is very fruity with kiwi, aprocots and pinappe, the taste offers anise and fruit cocktail. Price: €12.

Muscat 2004, Jean-Marc Bernhard.

Alsace Muscat is fresh but fruity, dry but supple. It feels natural all the way, and matches salads and veggie dishes perfectly. The 2004 Muscat from Jean-Marc Bernahard in Katzenthal has melon and almonds on the nose, while the tast adds spices such ginger, anis, cloves and a hint of bitterness. Price: €7.

2000 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Kanzlerberg, Sylvie Spielmann

Sylvie Spielmann owns half of the smallest Grand Cru of Alsace. This terroir gives firm wines that need very long to develop and show their full potential. Spielmann is a of master of Gewurztraminer, and in addition to Kanzlerberg and Altenberg de Bergheim she offers a splendid lieu-dit Blosenberg. The 2000 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Kanzlerberg has a complex aroma of vanilla, raspberry, liquorice, violet and the spearmint typical of the terroir. The velvety taste offers perfect balance beteen fruit, integrated sweetness and superb acidity. Price: ca €15,00.

2004 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Rosacker, Mader

Rosacker may be best known for its' Riesling but the heavy clay also gives birth to outstanding Gewurztraminer. The 2004 Gewurztraminer Rosacker from Jean-Luc Mader offers aromas of jasmine, banana, honey, citrus and spices. The taste is firm, typical for the house, medium bodied and still a bit sweet. The aftertaste is complex with a stiff minerality that is the hallmark of this great terroir. Price: ca €11.00.

2005 Riesling St Grégoire, Edgar Schaller

Patrick Schaller, educated in Champagne, has a reputation for first class crémant but does also offer a complex Muscat, uncompromising Riesling Grand Cru Mandelberg and a smokey Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sporen, true to the terroir. The 2005 Riesling St Grégoire is typical for the house style; firm, focused and fruity. The nose offers yellow apples and the taste is long and creamy. Price: ca €10.00

Crémant d´Alsace, Clément Klur

Crémant is an underrated wine at the table. Made according to métode Champenoise, but employing less chaptalization and other tricks, it is perfect match for white meats and fish. Crémant d´Alsace from Clément Klur offers almonds, vanilla and oranges on the nose. The taste is medium-light bodied and dry with pure, silky acids and a slight bitterness that adds character. Price: €8.50.

2006 Gewurztraminer, Mittnacht Fréres

The vintage 2006 was very diffucult as rot started to spread due to a rainy August and warm rains in September. However, due to the thick skin Gewurztraminer did very well. 2006 Gewurztraminer from Mittnacht Fréres in Hunawihr, run by Marc and Christophe is made according to biodynamic principles. The aroma offers a hint of banana, cardemoms, fresh ginger and roses. The taste is more than medium-bodied, deep, clean without any bitterness and perfectly balanced. Price: €9.65.

2002 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sonnenglanz, Domaine Stirn

It takes a winemaker with the skill and dedication of Fabien Stirn to make a Gewurztraminer that expresses the terroir as much as the grape variety. 2002 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sonnenglanz has a complex nose with roses, white , flower and maturation. On the palate, the first impression says "Sauternes", with some botrytis, honey, some sweetness and razorsharp acidity. Then, a superb and stunning minerality develops. The taste lasts for minutes. A World Class wine. Ex cellar price: €10.

2005 Pinot Blanc, Gérard Schueller, Husseren-les-Chateaux

Gérard Schueller is now managed by Bruno Scheuller. As other producers that work according to biodynamic principles, Bruno Schueller makes wines that possess a lot of character and variability. The 2005 Pinot Blanc, a 100% Auxerrois, shows an exciting aroma of nuts, honey and molasses, reminding of a sweet Chenin Blanc from Loire. The taste is nutty, fresh, full and bone dry. A superb gastronomic wine. Ex cellar price: €6.

2005 Muscat Marnes Vertes, Etienne Loew, Westhoffen

Spring time is asparagus time. June allows us to indulge a creamy asparagus soup, Risotto milanese with tender bud of green asparagus, and the hedonistic marriage of asparagus and a sauce hollandaise, charged with fine strips of lemon peel. The 2005 Muscat Marnes Vertes from the dynamic Etienne Loew is almost white. One the nose, you will find the fingerprint grapy aroma, passion fruit and a hint of mint. The taste bears has astringency typical of marly terroirs. Heaven can wait! Ex cellar price: € 7.50.