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Preliminary tasting of the 2006 vintage - still fermenting in large barrels at Domaine Paul Blanck, which I visited with American tasters Paul Jaouen and his wife
Sandy, at left. The next photo is of yours truly with Frédéric Blanck, followed by photos of bottles - the first at Paul Blanck and the second at Marc Kreydenweiss in
northern Alsace. Finally, Marc and son Antoine above at the far right.
Sandy, at left. The next photo is of yours truly with Frédéric Blanck, followed by photos of bottles - the first at Paul Blanck and the second at Marc Kreydenweiss in
northern Alsace. Finally, Marc and son Antoine above at the far right.
| Summary |
| A problematic 2006 in Alsace |
A vintner's vintage: nothing easy, and many grapes lost
In the 46 years that Marc Kreydenweiss has worked his vineyard in the northern Alsatian town of Andlau, he has never seen a vintage like 2006. ‘July was hot, August was very cold and September tropical, with rain that brought botrytis,’ he said. ‘Our harvesters worked en catastrophe’ – French for very urgently. At Domaine Paul Blanck at the grand cru vineyards Schlossberg and Furstentum, vintner Frédéric Blanck employed a record 60 pickers who harvested everything (even so-called late harvest) in just 20 days. A normal vintage lasts 40 days to the end of October, he said but ‘grapes ripened so quickly in September, and botrytis developed, too, so we selected ruthlessly – 35% less than last year.’ Blanck doubled sulphur for some lots this year – from 20 milligrams per litre to 40. Still fermenting village level Patergarten Riesling samples however yielded fine and certainly fault-free juice. ‘That was the particular challenge this year, getting rid of any off flavours,’ he said.
sample of his Patergarten, which had 13% alcohol and 8 grams of residual sugar. Not used to tasting "wine" at such a young age in Alsace, I was impressed by the cleanliness of the fruit, rather pristine in fact. Certainly no off flavours, not reduced and not odd. Indeed, I had the pleasure to taste these wines with American taster Paul Jaouen and his wife Sandy. We were also impressed by the clean quality of a 2006 Gewürztraminer. We had a great time tasting together on October 14, tasting wines from both Marc Kreydenweiss and Paul Blanck. A North-South tasting, if you will. In my newsletter early next year, I will report on scores of Alsatian properties, so stay tuned. At Paul Blanck Schlossberg Grand Cru Riesling 2002: Smoke and mineral notes with some prominent lime precede a brisk attack, dry and crisp, exuding also some dry apricot and a hint of rose. Green apple on the finish. Some may not like this for being perhaps too crispy, but this is my style of dry Riesling. Just bring the moules frites. 13% alcohol. 92+ Furstentum Grand Cru Riesling 2002: Somewhat sweeter, somewhat richer than the above. A broader attack, and also perhaps more balanced! White fruits, pear and white apricot, even some flower notes, and more orange than lime on the citrus spectrum. This one deserves coq à l’orange or certainly – what Frédéric Blanck wanted – lobster with butter. Are you getting hungry yet? A great Riesling. Also 13% alcohol. 93+ Furstentum Grand Cru Gewürztraminer Vieilles Vignes 2001: A nice frank attack, with very mineral-like flavors giving the rose and litchi profile some complexity and nuance. A healthy acidity, as well, but I am not blown away by this Gewürztraminer. Good, not great. 90+ Furstentum Grand Cru Gewürztraminer Vendanges Tardives 2004: Now my girlfriend Edith preferred the above wine, but this, for me, was raise your hands and wave them up in the air with joy fabulous. Exuding spicy complexity with gingerbread, nutmeg and clove, this wine reminded me of the fabulous nose one gets from Zind Humbrechts, but also contains a refined structure and balance on the palate (good acidity) sometimes lacking from Zind, which I sometimes find too rich for its own good… In other words: Have your spicy cake and eat it too. Grade A Gewürzt to share and enjoy. 94
Some 12 hectares surround the domain, located in the charming city of Andlau. Marc Kreydenweiss is pals with one of my favorite Bordeaux winemakers, Pascal Delbeck, and both are on a mission to maintain quality in French wine by curbing the freedom of using oak chips. At first, I was thinking: They must be nuts. Low-end French wines need to compete, right? Then Marc explained. New World winemakers make cleaner wine than those in France, so the use of oak chips makes sense as an enhancement, a seasoning, for the already well-crafted wine. But too many wines in France are so poorly made that the chips will only serve to cover the flaws, and likely not cover them well. So say Marc and Pascal. I wrote an article on the use of wood chips in the July issue of Wines and Vines, and he basically confirmed what some others have been saying… Back to Alsace, Marc explained that Andlau and other northern Alsatian towns were the big hits pre-World War II days. Southern Alsace was relatively unknown. Today, the opposite is true. And while some formerly famous names of northern Alsace make swill today (Klipfel comes to mind), others – like Kreydenweiss – make lovely wines. One of the best Pinot Blancs I have ever had comes from Kreydenweiss, the Kritt Pinot Blanc Les Charmes 2004, which is at once fresh and fine, with some pear notes, perfect for a pre-dinner drink – and only 7€ per bottle. Great deal. Then came the Andlau Riesling 2005, which I found tart and abrupt, unfortunately. There followed a series of 03s, many too light on their feet, though a couple stood out. Of particular interest was the Kastelberg Grand Cru 2003, with 80-year-old Riesling vines showing a mineral subtlety and a depth on the palate, which was overall rather closed. I suspect this may turn into something special. On the village level, the Clos Rebberg Riesling 2003 proved very fine, with a mix of both mineral and citrus notes. Also of interest is the village wine Clos du Val 2003 – half Riesling, half Pinot Gris. Important digression: Jean Michel Deiss of Marcel Deiss tasted this wine BEFORE he began co- planting his vines. Marc says that Deiss basically got his idea from this Kreydenweiss wine! Now, I would like to try other vintages of this blend, but it is spicy and fruity and has more depth than some of the other 03s we tried… At the end of the tasting, we were treated to a spectacular Moenchberg Pinot Gris 1989 SGN – only 985 bottles made, and in a blind tasting, Marc told us, it bested the 1989 Yquem. I could believe it, because this wine had both complexity and depth of flavour, including quince, dried apricot, cinnamon spice, and crème brulée. I was happy with its acidity, because it clocked in at 26 degrees of potential alcohol, and ended up having… 230 grams of residual sugar. |
Updated November 3 2006
I have always wanted to visit
Marc Kreydenweiss, a domain
known for its elegant,
streamlined and dry Rieslings. I
tried a series of 2003s and
came away underwhelmed. A
difficult vintage, where some
domains sinned with hot and
heavy wines, these were for the
most part lightweights. Perhaps I
prefer the latter sin over the
former, but still, nothing that
memorable. Will have to try
another vintage! And soon. At
right, Marc and son Antoine
Kreydenweiss.
Marc Kreydenweiss, a domain
known for its elegant,
streamlined and dry Rieslings. I
tried a series of 2003s and
came away underwhelmed. A
difficult vintage, where some
domains sinned with hot and
heavy wines, these were for the
most part lightweights. Perhaps I
prefer the latter sin over the
former, but still, nothing that
memorable. Will have to try
another vintage! And soon. At
right, Marc and son Antoine
Kreydenweiss.
| Yours truly with Frédéric Blanck of Domaine Paul Blanck near the grand cru sloped vineyards of Schlossberg and Furstetum. A second visit, and a second (very) positive impression. No 03s, but some very nice 04s and 02s tasted. What is more, Frédéric showed off how he made error-free 2006 from his village level Prattergarten terroir, a flat surface that did not handle 06s odd climate changes that well. Ruthless selection yielded not much wine, but a wine that tasted pretty promising... |
Frédéric Blanck, pouring some 06 Riesling
from a beaker. Friends Paul and Sandy
Jaouen. A lovely 04 Gewurtztraminer!
from a beaker. Friends Paul and Sandy
Jaouen. A lovely 04 Gewurtztraminer!
A great late harvest Pinot Gris from
1989. A lovely - and affordable -
Pinot Blanc. Terroir illustrated, along
with a bottle of wine...
1989. A lovely - and affordable -
Pinot Blanc. Terroir illustrated, along
with a bottle of wine...
