Alsace
Alsace, located in northeastern France, is renowned for its exceptional fine wines. With its unique blend of French and German influences, Alsace offers a captivating selection of wines that embody the region's rich heritage, distinct terroir, and dedication to quality winemaking.
One of the most famous vineyards in Alsace is Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, known for producing exceptional wines that showcase the region's terroir and commitment to organic and biodynamic practices. Other renowned vineyards in Alsace include Domaine Marcel Deiss, Domaine Weinbach, and Domaine Trimbach, each celebrated for their outstanding wines that capture the essence of the region.
Alsace is celebrated for its white wines, which account for the majority of its production. The region's flagship grape varieties, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris, flourish in the region's cool climate and unique soils. These wines are known for their aromatic intensity, crisp acidity, and expressive fruit flavors. Notable appellations like Alsace Grand Cru further highlight the region's dedication to producing exceptional white wines.
Alsace is also recognized for its sparkling wines, known as Crémant d'Alsace. Crafted using traditional methods, these sparkling wines exhibit finesse, delicate bubbles, and a refreshing character. They are produced from a variety of grape varieties, including Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris, offering a delightful alternative to Champagne.
While Alsace is predominantly known for its white wines, it also produces exceptional red wines, primarily from the Pinot Noir grape. These reds showcase elegance, finesse, and a vibrant fruit profile. Vineyards like Domaine Albert Boxler and Domaine Ostertag are celebrated for their outstanding red wines that highlight the region's potential for producing world-class Pinot Noir.
Indulge in the allure of Alsace's fine wines and experience the exceptional quality, distinct character, and the region's dedication to crafting remarkable wines. Whether you're savoring a vibrant Riesling, an aromatic Gewürztraminer, or an elegant Pinot Noir, Alsace wines promise a journey of flavors that capture the essence of this enchanting wine region.
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Alsace
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(6x75cl) 2008Wine Advocate (96)
The 2008 Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile is now in the market and readers shouldn't miss seeking it out. This is a gorgeously matured dry Riesling classic from Ribeauvillé that drinks perfectly today and pairs with many kind of dishes. The wine has an intense citrus color and opens with a very clear, deep, dense and aromatic bouquet of dried fruits along with herbal and mineral aromas. Full-bodied, pure and elegant, yet complex and mineral on the palate, this is a silky textured but well-structured dry Riesling with intense and persistent fruit, fine tannins and lingering salinity. Bottled April 2009, this is a great dry Riesling blend from the Grands Crus Geisberg and Osterberg.Inc. VAT£549.49 -
(6x75cl) 2012
Vinous (92)
Bright pale straw-green. Fresh nose of green apple, quince lime and herbs. Then minty, almost peppery flavors of green fig, apple and gooseberry. Finishes long and suave with zippy acidity and a hint of minerality at the back. This is still very young but magically combines precision, concentration and refinement as only this cuvée manages. Strikes me as an earlier maturing version of Fréderic Emile, but will undoubtedly be another great star in this wine’s constellation history.Inc. VAT£453.94 -
Vinous (97+)
Luminous straw-yellow. Complex, mint-accented aromas of nectarine, tangerine and powdered stone, plus a hint of licorice. Then bright, juicy and dense, showing outstanding acid-sugar balance and a penetrating juiciness to the stone fruit and herbal flavors. Finishes multilayered and very long, displaying noteworthy clarity and limy cut on the saline finish. Wine lovers everywhere know just how great Frédéric Emile Rieslings can be, but this looks to be a real knockout in the making; I absolutely love this wine’s mineral drive and precision. It pulls off the neat trick of being both very ageworthy and also lovely to drink right now. I was happy to know that my palate was still working after an extremely long day of tasting when I told Pierre that in this vintage of Frédéric Emile I found more of the Geisberg than the Osterberg (in most vintages, the wine is a blend of 60/40 Osterberg-Geisberg, at times even 70/30, but this year it’s more like 55/45).Inc. VAT£418.69 -
(6x75cl) 2017
Vinous (95+)
Bright straw. Clean, vibrantly mineral and racy aromas and flavors of green apple, pear and lime. Ripe yet brightly acidic, this exhibits a penetrating quality on the long, juicy, ginger- and mineral-accented finish. Very compact, dense and still youthful Riesling. Outstanding.Inc. VAT£399.54 -
Inc. VAT£165.49 -
James Suckling (97)
Breathtaking nose of tropical flowers and foliage after rain, with a whiff of smoke in the air. This has spectacular elegance and minerality for a wine of this stature (14.5% alcohol). I love the fresh-ginger note that already suggests the kind of dishes that would pair beautifully with this masterpiece of restrained extravagance. Only a hint of sweetness at the ravishing finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£286.40 -
Inc. VAT£1,757.47 -
James Suckling (97)
If you’ve never tasted a great Alsace pinot gris, here is the place to start! All the richness and creaminess we expect from this category, but married to lively acidity and pristine clarity. We love the super ripe pear bouquet with hints of exotic fruit and flowers. No perceptible tannins and still dry enough at the delicately spicy and mineral finish to be food-flexible. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£335.60 -
Inc. VAT£124.13 -
Inc. VAT£118.13 -
Inc. VAT£460.40 -
(12x37.5cl) 2005Inc. VAT£622.40 -
(6x75cl) 2008Vinous (93)
(14.2% alcohol, 47 g/l r.s. and 6.2 acidity) Bright medium yellow. Subtle, subdued aromas of lichee, spices and minerals. Big, rich, spicy and full but light on its feet for all its tactile concentration. Sweet but not at all overdone, finishing with better grip than the Goldert. This is quite suave.Inc. VAT£420.80 -
Vinous (94-96)
Pale, gold-tinged straw. Intense, pure, utterly captivating aromas of pineapple, passion fruit, caramelized mango, cinnamon and nutmeg. In the mouth, sweet vanilla and toffee apple flavors are at once silky and powerful. Finishes extremely long and pure. A benchmark Gewürztraminer, and a real step up in concentration and complexity from the other 2012 Gewürztraminers at this address. The very old vines grow in two parcels, one planted in the 1920s and the other by Olivier’s grandfather in 1957. Structure-wise, I find this to be very reminiscent of a Rangen Gewürztraminer. In fact, it never ceases to amaze me how saline Zind-Humbrecht’s Hengst Gewürzes can be (and in this sense they are certainly Rangen-like).Inc. VAT£408.80 -
James Suckling (97)
This gewurz is built on a monumental scale with gigantic concentration and structure, easily filling out the huge body. The abundant fine tannins soak up almost all of the unfermented grape sweetness and drive the very long and texturally complex, spicy finish. Already pretty mind-blowing, but great aging potential! From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.Inc. VAT£109.73 -
Vinous (94)
Dark golden yellow. White peach, green apple, minerals and botanical herbs on the forward but refined nose, complicated by a hint of spicy botrytis. Sweet, dense and leesy, conveying a compelling, delicately creamy texture and outstanding depth to its lemony noble rot-accented baked apple and herbal flavors. Finishes vibrant and long, with only a hint of residual sweetness (27.6 g/ residual sugar balanced by 6.3 g/l total acidity, with a 3.7 pH). Though less showy than most of the other vintages in this tasting, it showcases the classic, harmonious personality typical of the 2005 vintage in Alsace; but in perfect Rangen style it is still a rather powerful wine (15.3% alcohol). Humbrecht told me that 2005 featured the latest harvest start in 15 years and that some noble rot hit the Clos in 2005, but significantly less than in his other vineyards closer to Turckheim. The yield was a low 26 hectoliters per hectare.Inc. VAT£418.40 -
Inc. VAT£560.00 -
James Suckling (98)
The most powerful and deepest pinot gris of this vintage from Zind Humbrecht with a ton of smoke, creme-brulee and mushroom character. In spite of the almost 15% alcoholic content, it is properly dry and has a wonderful liveliness at the finish. Drink or hold. Made from biodynamically grown grapes.Inc. VAT£1,018.01 -
James Suckling (98)
Super smoky, spicy and flinty, this imposing and enveloping pinot gris is barely off-dry. Welcome to a world of smoky and textural complexity on the deep and refined palate. The power and concentration are almost as complete as the ripeness, effortlessly handling the 13.5% alcohol. Super-long, creamy and spicy finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£490.49 -
James Suckling (95)
This self-confidently atypical pinot gris has astonishing acidity that’s got the intensity of a lightning strike. Tons of pineapple and toast character, but also gigantic, lemony freshness at the exceptionally bright finish. May be too extreme for some, but we find this amazing. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£310.32 -
(6x75cl) 2008Vinous (93+)
Pale, golden-tinge yellow. Clean aromas of pineapple, orange marmalade, sweet spices and minerals are complicated by an exotic note of cinnamon and a hint of noble rot. Richer and riper on the palate than the Rangen, with soft apricot and tropical fruit flavors lifted by a lemongrass nuance. The finishing flavors of sweet pear and apricot are extremely long and pure. The Brand is almost always a bigger wine than the Rangen, and the numbers tell the story: 13.7% alcohol, 10 g/l r.s. and 7.3 g/l acidity. I had trouble choosing between this and the '08 Rangen: they're both great wines.Inc. VAT£585.20 -
Vinous (95)
Bright straw-yellow. Penetrating aromas and flavors of minerals, lavender, lemon and vanilla bean are very long and clean and display laser-like precision. The enamel-shattering acidity (the pH of 2.9 is really quite low) is buffered by a very ripe mouthfeel and a little bit of residual sugar (roughly 11 g/L residual sugar, though because of all that acidity, the wine tastes classically dry). Amazing purity of fruit and a crystalline mouthfeel bode well for this wine’s future; at once very acidic but also very ripe, this is a really amazing effort from Humbrecht. Very well done.Inc. VAT£106.13 -
(6x75cl) 2018Vinous (96)
One of the standouts in this range, the 2018 Riesling Clos Windsbuhl is incredibly vivid in the glass. Time in the glass brings out myriad layers of flavor and dimension. Orange confit, crushed rocks, mint and more exotic notes all meld together in an airy, weightless wine that has so much to offer. The 2018 is at once intense but also carries itself with a real sense of grace.Inc. VAT£517.24 -
James Suckling (95)
Still very youthful, with a wealth of cool and delicate herbal and stone-fruit aromas. Very straight and vertical, with super-elegant and energetic acidity. Tons of chalky power, but the fruit is only just beginning to open up on the sleek but very compact palate. I love the really long, fragrant finish. The structure and harmony for very long aging! From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2024Inc. VAT£93.31 -
James Suckling (97)
A unique dry riesling with an astonishing combination of mini banana, mirabelle, baking spice and sea salt. Super concentrated and super elegant, this has a level of poise that’s very rare in the 2018 vintage. I love the way the silky finish caresses the palate. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£478.32 -
James Suckling (98)
This dry riesling masterpiece is full of seeming contradictions that give it a sense of mystery you very rarely find. So rich and concentrated, yet also astonishingly vivid and precise, the aromas range from smoke to roses, although the most obvious note is the peachy one up front. Breathtakingly long and complete finish with so much mineral complexity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£202.76 -
James Suckling (98)
This dry riesling masterpiece is full of seeming contradictions that give it a sense of mystery you very rarely find. So rich and concentrated, yet also astonishingly vivid and precise, the aromas range from smoke to roses, although the most obvious note is the peachy one up front. Breathtakingly long and complete finish with so much mineral complexity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£149.60 -
James Suckling (99)
So smoky, with intense gunpowder character, but also notes of forest mushrooms and jack fruit. This is not only very concentrated, but also has an amazingly sensual mouth-feel that sets out in the wide field of exciting dry Alsace rieslings from the 2020 vintage. Expands and expands as it flows over your palate until it blows your mind at the unbelievably long, smoky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£424.32 -
James Suckling (98)
Welcome to the dark side of the dry riesling force where gunpowder meets the stone at the heart of the peach. Dazzling racy intensity. Super-long and pure with a mountain of crushed rock character at the smoky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£129.44 -
Wine Advocate (99)
The late-budding and rather late-ripening Clos Saint-Urbain, in the very south of Alsace, meets the very warm and solar 2022 vintage in this wine. What a thrilling setting this is, the more so since August and September brought rather cooler conditions to this cooler but, due to its dark soils and stony terraces in summer, nevertheless warm terroir of the Rangen. Indeed, the pH level was rather low in 2022 (at 3.1) and caused a dry and tense Riesling that doesn't at all show the characteristics of the Rieslings around Turckheim or elsewhere in Alsace.Inc. VAT£571.09
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(6x75cl) 2008
Wine Advocate (96)
The 2008 Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile is now in the market and readers shouldn't miss seeking it out. This is a gorgeously matured dry Riesling classic from Ribeauvillé that drinks perfectly today and pairs with many kind of dishes. The wine has an intense citrus color and opens with a very clear, deep, dense and aromatic bouquet of dried fruits along with herbal and mineral aromas. Full-bodied, pure and elegant, yet complex and mineral on the palate, this is a silky textured but well-structured dry Riesling with intense and persistent fruit, fine tannins and lingering salinity. Bottled April 2009, this is a great dry Riesling blend from the Grands Crus Geisberg and Osterberg.In Bond£440.00 -
(6x75cl) 2012
Vinous (92)
Bright pale straw-green. Fresh nose of green apple, quince lime and herbs. Then minty, almost peppery flavors of green fig, apple and gooseberry. Finishes long and suave with zippy acidity and a hint of minerality at the back. This is still very young but magically combines precision, concentration and refinement as only this cuvée manages. Strikes me as an earlier maturing version of Fréderic Emile, but will undoubtedly be another great star in this wine’s constellation history.In Bond£361.00 -
Vinous (97+)
Luminous straw-yellow. Complex, mint-accented aromas of nectarine, tangerine and powdered stone, plus a hint of licorice. Then bright, juicy and dense, showing outstanding acid-sugar balance and a penetrating juiciness to the stone fruit and herbal flavors. Finishes multilayered and very long, displaying noteworthy clarity and limy cut on the saline finish. Wine lovers everywhere know just how great Frédéric Emile Rieslings can be, but this looks to be a real knockout in the making; I absolutely love this wine’s mineral drive and precision. It pulls off the neat trick of being both very ageworthy and also lovely to drink right now. I was happy to know that my palate was still working after an extremely long day of tasting when I told Pierre that in this vintage of Frédéric Emile I found more of the Geisberg than the Osterberg (in most vintages, the wine is a blend of 60/40 Osterberg-Geisberg, at times even 70/30, but this year it’s more like 55/45).In Bond£331.00 -
(6x75cl) 2017
Vinous (95+)
Bright straw. Clean, vibrantly mineral and racy aromas and flavors of green apple, pear and lime. Ripe yet brightly acidic, this exhibits a penetrating quality on the long, juicy, ginger- and mineral-accented finish. Very compact, dense and still youthful Riesling. Outstanding.In Bond£315.00 -
In Bond£120.00
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James Suckling (97)
Breathtaking nose of tropical flowers and foliage after rain, with a whiff of smoke in the air. This has spectacular elegance and minerality for a wine of this stature (14.5% alcohol). I love the fresh-ginger note that already suggests the kind of dishes that would pair beautifully with this masterpiece of restrained extravagance. Only a hint of sweetness at the ravishing finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£218.00 -
In Bond£1,437.00
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James Suckling (97)
If you’ve never tasted a great Alsace pinot gris, here is the place to start! All the richness and creaminess we expect from this category, but married to lively acidity and pristine clarity. We love the super ripe pear bouquet with hints of exotic fruit and flowers. No perceptible tannins and still dry enough at the delicately spicy and mineral finish to be food-flexible. Drink or hold.In Bond£259.00 -
In Bond£100.00
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In Bond£95.00
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In Bond£363.00
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(12x37.5cl) 2005In Bond£498.00
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(6x75cl) 2008
Vinous (93)
(14.2% alcohol, 47 g/l r.s. and 6.2 acidity) Bright medium yellow. Subtle, subdued aromas of lichee, spices and minerals. Big, rich, spicy and full but light on its feet for all its tactile concentration. Sweet but not at all overdone, finishing with better grip than the Goldert. This is quite suave.In Bond£330.00 -
Vinous (94-96)
Pale, gold-tinged straw. Intense, pure, utterly captivating aromas of pineapple, passion fruit, caramelized mango, cinnamon and nutmeg. In the mouth, sweet vanilla and toffee apple flavors are at once silky and powerful. Finishes extremely long and pure. A benchmark Gewürztraminer, and a real step up in concentration and complexity from the other 2012 Gewürztraminers at this address. The very old vines grow in two parcels, one planted in the 1920s and the other by Olivier’s grandfather in 1957. Structure-wise, I find this to be very reminiscent of a Rangen Gewürztraminer. In fact, it never ceases to amaze me how saline Zind-Humbrecht’s Hengst Gewürzes can be (and in this sense they are certainly Rangen-like).In Bond£320.00 -
James Suckling (97)
This gewurz is built on a monumental scale with gigantic concentration and structure, easily filling out the huge body. The abundant fine tannins soak up almost all of the unfermented grape sweetness and drive the very long and texturally complex, spicy finish. Already pretty mind-blowing, but great aging potential! From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.In Bond£88.00 -
Vinous (94)
Dark golden yellow. White peach, green apple, minerals and botanical herbs on the forward but refined nose, complicated by a hint of spicy botrytis. Sweet, dense and leesy, conveying a compelling, delicately creamy texture and outstanding depth to its lemony noble rot-accented baked apple and herbal flavors. Finishes vibrant and long, with only a hint of residual sweetness (27.6 g/ residual sugar balanced by 6.3 g/l total acidity, with a 3.7 pH). Though less showy than most of the other vintages in this tasting, it showcases the classic, harmonious personality typical of the 2005 vintage in Alsace; but in perfect Rangen style it is still a rather powerful wine (15.3% alcohol). Humbrecht told me that 2005 featured the latest harvest start in 15 years and that some noble rot hit the Clos in 2005, but significantly less than in his other vineyards closer to Turckheim. The yield was a low 26 hectoliters per hectare.In Bond£328.00 -
In Bond£446.00
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James Suckling (98)
The most powerful and deepest pinot gris of this vintage from Zind Humbrecht with a ton of smoke, creme-brulee and mushroom character. In spite of the almost 15% alcoholic content, it is properly dry and has a wonderful liveliness at the finish. Drink or hold. Made from biodynamically grown grapes.In Bond£807.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Super smoky, spicy and flinty, this imposing and enveloping pinot gris is barely off-dry. Welcome to a world of smoky and textural complexity on the deep and refined palate. The power and concentration are almost as complete as the ripeness, effortlessly handling the 13.5% alcohol. Super-long, creamy and spicy finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£390.00 -
James Suckling (95)
This self-confidently atypical pinot gris has astonishing acidity that’s got the intensity of a lightning strike. Tons of pineapple and toast character, but also gigantic, lemony freshness at the exceptionally bright finish. May be too extreme for some, but we find this amazing. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£240.00 -
(6x75cl) 2008
Vinous (93+)
Pale, golden-tinge yellow. Clean aromas of pineapple, orange marmalade, sweet spices and minerals are complicated by an exotic note of cinnamon and a hint of noble rot. Richer and riper on the palate than the Rangen, with soft apricot and tropical fruit flavors lifted by a lemongrass nuance. The finishing flavors of sweet pear and apricot are extremely long and pure. The Brand is almost always a bigger wine than the Rangen, and the numbers tell the story: 13.7% alcohol, 10 g/l r.s. and 7.3 g/l acidity. I had trouble choosing between this and the '08 Rangen: they're both great wines.In Bond£467.00 -
Vinous (95)
Bright straw-yellow. Penetrating aromas and flavors of minerals, lavender, lemon and vanilla bean are very long and clean and display laser-like precision. The enamel-shattering acidity (the pH of 2.9 is really quite low) is buffered by a very ripe mouthfeel and a little bit of residual sugar (roughly 11 g/L residual sugar, though because of all that acidity, the wine tastes classically dry). Amazing purity of fruit and a crystalline mouthfeel bode well for this wine’s future; at once very acidic but also very ripe, this is a really amazing effort from Humbrecht. Very well done.In Bond£85.00 -
(6x75cl) 2018
Vinous (96)
One of the standouts in this range, the 2018 Riesling Clos Windsbuhl is incredibly vivid in the glass. Time in the glass brings out myriad layers of flavor and dimension. Orange confit, crushed rocks, mint and more exotic notes all meld together in an airy, weightless wine that has so much to offer. The 2018 is at once intense but also carries itself with a real sense of grace.In Bond£415.00 -
James Suckling (95)
Still very youthful, with a wealth of cool and delicate herbal and stone-fruit aromas. Very straight and vertical, with super-elegant and energetic acidity. Tons of chalky power, but the fruit is only just beginning to open up on the sleek but very compact palate. I love the really long, fragrant finish. The structure and harmony for very long aging! From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2024In Bond£75.00 -
James Suckling (97)
A unique dry riesling with an astonishing combination of mini banana, mirabelle, baking spice and sea salt. Super concentrated and super elegant, this has a level of poise that’s very rare in the 2018 vintage. I love the way the silky finish caresses the palate. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£380.00 -
James Suckling (98)
This dry riesling masterpiece is full of seeming contradictions that give it a sense of mystery you very rarely find. So rich and concentrated, yet also astonishingly vivid and precise, the aromas range from smoke to roses, although the most obvious note is the peachy one up front. Breathtakingly long and complete finish with so much mineral complexity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£163.00 -
James Suckling (98)
This dry riesling masterpiece is full of seeming contradictions that give it a sense of mystery you very rarely find. So rich and concentrated, yet also astonishingly vivid and precise, the aromas range from smoke to roses, although the most obvious note is the peachy one up front. Breathtakingly long and complete finish with so much mineral complexity. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£122.00 -
James Suckling (99)
So smoky, with intense gunpowder character, but also notes of forest mushrooms and jack fruit. This is not only very concentrated, but also has an amazingly sensual mouth-feel that sets out in the wide field of exciting dry Alsace rieslings from the 2020 vintage. Expands and expands as it flows over your palate until it blows your mind at the unbelievably long, smoky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£335.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Welcome to the dark side of the dry riesling force where gunpowder meets the stone at the heart of the peach. Dazzling racy intensity. Super-long and pure with a mountain of crushed rock character at the smoky finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£105.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
The late-budding and rather late-ripening Clos Saint-Urbain, in the very south of Alsace, meets the very warm and solar 2022 vintage in this wine. What a thrilling setting this is, the more so since August and September brought rather cooler conditions to this cooler but, due to its dark soils and stony terraces in summer, nevertheless warm terroir of the Rangen. Indeed, the pH level was rather low in 2022 (at 3.1) and caused a dry and tense Riesling that doesn't at all show the characteristics of the Rieslings around Turckheim or elsewhere in Alsace.In Bond£458.00
