2018 Domaine Weinbach, Riesling Schlossberg “Cuvée Ste. Catherine” Alsace Grand Cru, France.
One of the world’s great wines, Weinbach’s Schlossberg “Cuvée Ste. Catherine Grand Cru Riesling always charms me and this bright gold 2018 is just coming out of its youth and shows of an elegant profile of apricot, green apple, bitter almond, lemony citrus and Asian spices in a steely crisp frame. Delicacy is a hallmark of this wine, light florals and textural excellence, while not leaning too heavily on petrol or tropical notes, this is as pure and pure gets. Coming from the Domaine’s 40-60 year old vines located on the mid-slope of the Grand Cru Schlossberg this wine saw perfectly ripe grapes that were gently pressed in whole clusters in soft pneumatic presses then a fermentation with indigenous yeasts. This Grand Cru, which came in at a tick over 14% was matured in large used casks for close to 10 months, allowing for power, depth and transparency. Weinbach is a celebrated and historic property run by the Faller family best known for Riesling, along the likes of Trimbach and Zindt-Hambrecht, with a top lineup of cru Riesling bottlings, but they are masters of other grapes as well, with sublime examples of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Sylvaner, all of which should not be overlooked as they too are some of the finest in the region. In recent years they have upped their Pinot Noir game and now include a stunning white field blend, which reminds me of the great Marcel Deiss versions, so it’s an awesome time to re-discover Weinbach. Most all of the vines have been converted to all organic and biodynamic farming methods, just like the Weinbach estate vines see and they have employed a short pruning of the vines to keep yields low, to promote concentration, complexity and allow for aromatic intensity. The winemaking here, as noted before in my reviews, is always impeccably clean and non interventionist in technique with this wine seeing a gentle whole cluster pressing in a soft pneumatic press, with indigenous yeasts and fine lees aging exclusively in large neutral oak casks.
The Famille Faller’s Domaine Weinbach, one of Alsace’s great estates, was originally founded by the Order of Capuchin monks back in 1612, property was a walled in and a totally self contained site making some of the best wine in the region for the better part of a hundred years. The Faller brothers, as noted by the winery, bought the Clos des Capucins in 1898 and It has remained in the hands of the family ever since then. The “Clos des Capuchins” is the vineyard that surrounds the domaine, it sits directly below the prestigious Schlossberg Cru (the first terroir in Alsace to receive the status of Grand Cru), along with the Grand Cru Furstentum (known for Gewürztraminer and as well as to the adjacent Altenbourg Cru (known for Pinot Gris) vineyard that rises above the Weinbach clos. The winery says Schlossberg’s name derives from the nearly 900 year old castle situated on the cru’s western edge. Adding that like all other Alsace grand crus, Schlossberg is characterized by its granite dominant soils with a magmatic. bedrock and a sandy and gravelly overlay. Also Schlossberg, it is known, enjoys a rich vein of potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, much more than the majority of other Alsatian grand crus, bringing out that mineral intensity. The domaine is in the heart of Kayserberg’s hills and its valleys are some of the most picturesque places in Europe. Sustainability and organic farming is important to the Fallers and it is also worth noting that Weinbach is all vegan, and wines just see a light filtration for clarity and stabilization. I have a long history with Domain Weinbach, it is one of my favorite wineries, and I’ve tried almost everything they have produced including their very new hipster “Orange Wine” and their awesome sweeter VTs, like the stunning Gewürztraminer Mambourg Vendandges Tardives and the sexy and honeyed botrytis-affected Altenbourg Pinot Gris. This Weinbach Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine Grand Cru Riesling, as the winery suggests, pairs exceptionally well with shellfish dishes such as lobster, crab, and scallops, as well as holiday meals, also going well with poultry and white meat. This vintage has lots of life ahead too, it is a twenty year wine no question.
($75 Est.) 96 points, grapelive