Alsace -

Notes and impressions from an Alsace tasting - Saturday, June 9, 2001, at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Twenty wines were poured.

Overall impressions: Generally, I preferred the Gewurtztraminers (obvious as all getout, judging by the preferences below) . But, the Tokay Pinot Gris and the ZH Muscat were both very good. Biggest bargains seemed to be the Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Winzenheim Vieilles Vignes, the Albert Mann Pinot Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes, and the Zind Humbrecht Pinot d'Alsace. Another fabulous group of Alsatians.

1999 Domaine Schoffit Chasselas Vieilles Vignes. $13.99. Off-white color. Sweet Riesling/Viognier nose, and floral and fruity mouthfeel.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

1999 Rene Mure Pinot Blanc Cote de Rouffach. $9.99. Off-white color. Nose of light grapefruit, citron, and sweet grass. Meaty, nutty and toasty, with a long crisp finish and a nice long aftertaste.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Albert Mann Pinot Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes.$21.99. Light yellow color. Nose of lemon lime and citrus. Crisp and slightly tart mouthfeel initially but sweetens up a bit toward latter palate, and finishes up crisp and lemony.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Zind Humbrecht Pinot d'Alsace.$19.99. Light yellow-gold color. Nose of lemon merengue pie. Sweet mouthfeel, chewy flavors that seem a bit lemon-lime tart. Nice texture on palate.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Zind Humbrecht Muscat Goldert. $27.99. Off-yellow color. Sweet citrusy mouthfeel, with a touch of nut and zest. Slightly sweet mouthfeel, tasty, great balance, long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: B+

1999 Lucien Albrecht Riesling.$9.99. Off-white color. Nose of floral, ginger, and clover aromas. Sweet lemon-lime flavors, with a bit of fizz - nearly like flat 7-Up. Beautiful nose, but the mouthfeel is a bit too cloying.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B Overall score: B+

1999 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Gueberschwihr. $20.99.Light yellow-gold color. nose of lemon-lime peel, smoke, clover, citron, and some stemminess. Sweet mouthfeel, nice and tasty flavors seem a bit brief at midpalate, but finishes long and fruity.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl. $39.99. Light gold color. Nose seems a bit restrained, with notes of lemon, ginger, and floral aromas, plus a bit of raisin and nut. Crisp off-sweet mouthfeel, with lemon and and other citrus flavors that seem to fall off a bit toward finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Domaine Schoffit Riesling Rangen de Thann. $39.99.Light yellow-gold color. Nose of orange zest, tea, lemon-lime and toast. Slightly sweet and toasty mouthfeel, with a nutty dried pasta taste through long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Rene Mure Gewurztraminer Schultzengass.$21.99. Off-white yellow color. Big sweet honeyed lemon-lime nose. Sweet mouthfeel, chewyand tasty, with a smooth and consistently long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

1999 Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Winzenheim Vieilles Vignes. $22.99. Light-medium yellow-gold color. Stunning rose petal and citrus nose, with background notes of ginger and nut. Sweet mouthfeel, nutty and meaty taste, and medium-long racy finish.
Aroma score: A Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

1999 Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Furstentum. $22.99. Medium yellow color. Nose of sweet citrus, ginger, and zest. Sweet, smooth and spicy mouthfeel, fabulous balance, with a touch of nuttiness on the long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

1999 Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Hengst Grand Cru. $37.99. Medium yellow-gold color. Nose of sweet lemon-lime, petrol, nut, stem, and citron. Sweet, smooth complex spicy mouthfeel, with a light raisin and nut quality throughout, and long smooth finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: B+

1993 Rolly Gassmann Gewurztraminer Stegreben de Rorschwhir-Cuvee Ann Marie. $29.99. Light-medium yellow gold color. Slightly swampy and petrol-like in the nose, with with a fascinating ginger-nut and sugar pea aroma. Sweet mouthfeel, with a nice nutty and ripe pineapple taste, and long finish - like a pineapple upsidedown cake.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

1999 Lucien Albrecht Tokay Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes .$13.99. Off-clear color. Interesting, and slightly pasty nose, with a steely pineapple aroma. Medium-full mouthfeel, with with an off-sweet fruity taste and medium-long finish. Not a blockbuster, but tasty and a nice value.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1999 Albert Mann Tokay Pinot Gris Hengst. $21.99. Off-yellow color. Slightly petrol-like aroma in the nose, with background notes of light citrus and floral aromas. Slightly sweet and nutty mouthfeel, clean, crisp, very nice balance and flavors, and long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1997 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg Grand Cru. $32.99. Off-yellow color. Slightly swampy and smoky, with a hint of sweet pea in the nose. Slightly sweet and smoky lemon-lime flavors, with a bite of bitter citron punctuating the finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

1998 Domaine Schoffit Tokay Pinot Gris Rangen de ThannVendange Tardive. $79.99. Off-yellow color. Slightly sweet raisiny-spiced aromas, with a walnut-almond aroma. Slightly sweet, big and chewy mouthfeel, with almost a Gewurz-like spiciness, and chewy long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

1998 Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Furstentum-Selection Grains Nobles. $49.99.Off-yellow color. Lightly floral and nutty aromas, with distinct nutmeg-allspice notes. Sweet, smooth and lightly spicy - yet big mouthfeel, with a nice meaty aftertaste.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-