The Winemaker: Domaine Weinbach
"In Vino Veritas" (Truth in Vine)
Updated 04/06/2007
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GWTRAMINER SAMPLER, W259 N9116 Hwy 164, Hartland, WI. 53029-9010, U.S.A.
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Mike Reilly
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The Late Harvest (Vendanges Tardives) can be appreciated on their own. A foie gras is superb with a Tokay Pinot Gris or a Gewurztraminer Late Harvest. A Gewurztraminer would also be wonderful with strong and fat cheeses. A Late Harvest Riesling is a rare delight, opulent and elegant.
The Sélections de Grains Nobles are obtained thanks by sorting the berries suffering from noble rot. They are real nectars, dense and balanced.
The Quintessences de Grains Nobles are extremely rare, nectar of nectars, they are tiny produces in only a few vintages. The word Quintessence was invented in Domaine Weinbach, it was used the first time to describe a sumptuous cuvée of the 1983 vintage.
THE DOMAINE WEINBACH'S GEWÜRZTRAMINERS
With wonderful aromas of rose, gilly-flower, jasmine, spices, crystallized citrus fruit... with velvety bodies, they are sumptuous as an aperitif, with exotic food, smoked salmon or even with cheese, especially with French cheeses such as Munster or Roquefort. The taste of a particularly rich Gewurztraminer, a Grand Cru Furstentum or Late Harvest, is incomparable with a foie gras. It will be your taste buds' delight.
Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo Origins: Clos des Capucins. The Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo is fine, with a slight and elegant roundness, it is good with spicy dishes (curry, colombo) or exotic cuisine such as North African stew, smoked salmon (without lemon!)...
Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence and Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence Origins: the first one is from the marly limestone soil beneath Altenbourg and the other one is from Altenbourg itself. These cuvées have a very unique range of wonderful aromas: rich and elegant both at the same time, you can enjoy them on their own or for aperitif, but also with rich and spicy dishes, sweet and sour dishes, and with strong and fat cheeses.
Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Furstentum Cuvée Laurence Origins: the Furstentum grand cru. Fine, subtle and powerful, with spice and grapefruit notes due to Botrytis, it is always marvelous... This cru produces beautiful late vintages and selections of noble grains.
As for the Gewurztraminer with wonderful aromas of rose, gilly flower and jasmine, a velvety body, it is sumptuous as an aperitif, with exotic food, smoked salmon or even with cheeses: Munster, Roquefort, Epoisses, Brillat-savarin...A particularly rich Gewurztraminer, a Cuvée Laurence or Late Harvest is incomparable with a foie gras.
Rating explanation see: Wine Ratings - Unraveling Their Meaning in right column -->
| Rating |
Vintage |
| 92RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence 1999 |
| 93RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence 1998 |
| 93RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence 1997 |
| 92RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence 1993 |
| 97RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles 1999 |
| 97RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles 1998 |
| 99RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles 1997 |
| 94RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Vendange Tardive 1999 |
| 93RP | Gewurztraminer Altenbourg Vendange Tardive 1998 |
| 90+RP | Gewurztraminer Furstentum Cuvée Laurence 1999 |
| 91RP | Gewurztraminer Furstentum Cuvée Laurence 1993 |
| 94RP | Gewurztraminer Furstentum Cuvée Laurence 1992 |
| 94RP | Gewurztraminer Furstentum Sélection de Grains Nobles 1998 |
| 94+RP | Gewurztraminer Furstentum Vendange Tardive 1997 |
| 90+RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence 1999 |
| 91+RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence 1998 |
| 92RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence 1997 |
| Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence 1990, '89 | |
|
Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 2002 ? - concentrated, intense and opulent. a honey and tropical fruit-infused white with personality. open and off-dry in style, with a butterscotch finish. ideal either as an aperitif or with cheese. $34.99 |
|
| 90RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 1999 |
| 90RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 1998 |
| 89RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 1997 |
| 90RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 1993 |
| 93RP | Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 1992 |
|
Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 1990, '89 |
|
| 76RP | #Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo 1986 |
| 87RP | #Gewurztraminer Cuvée Théo |
| Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 2003 | |
|
Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 2002, $32.99 |
|
| 88RP | Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1999 |
| 88RP | Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1998 |
| 88RP | Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1997 |
| 88RP | Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1993 |
| 90RP | Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1992 |
|
Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1990 |
|
| 78RP | #Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1986 |
| 88RP | #Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle 1985 |
|
Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles 1990, '89 |
|
|
Gewurztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles 1983, $119.95 |
Gewurztraminer, Réserve Personnelle 2003 Domaine Weinbach,
by Jancis Robinson, publication date: 01 feb 05
It has been far too long since I recommended an Alsace wine here but this particular wine, tasted in a line-up of 2003s from the Faller harem after dozens and dozens of 2003 burgundies really stood out.
Over the years I have often been impressed by the wines of Colette Faller and her daughters Catherine and Laurence at Domaine Weinbach (www.domaineweinbach.com). See the results of the Great Riesling tasting, for instance. Their philosophy is to pick as late as possible, which in the heatwave vintage of 2003 seems to have resulted in some rather fat wines which suggest at the moment that they should be drunk relatively early.
But this particular Gewurz seemed wonderfully lively. It had all the lovely rose petal fragrance of true Gewurztraminer (as opposed to one made from over-cropped fruit perfumed with a bit of Muscat) but great depth and nerve as well – more nerve, it seemed to me, than the more expensive and richer Cuvée Théo Gewurz. I would drink this Réserve Personelle over the next two years.
Unlike last week’s wine, this one is (just) cheaper in the UK than the US. Justerini & Brooks have it in their current offer at just £135 a case in bond, which will work out at the equivalent of about £14.75, or about £27.67 a bottle. Meanwhile the cutprice store Sams’s Wines & Spirits of Chicago has a ‘pre-offer’ of it at $28.99 according to the admirably useful winesearcher.com.
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