CREMANT BRUT "LES NATURES" . Note: 90 Ian D'Agata :
"Pale straw with a persistent stream of small bubbles. Vanilla and sweet spices complement white flowers and stone fruit on the enticing nose.Then juicy and vibrant, offering crystalline flavors similar to the aromas. Very vertical wine that finishes long and clean; will make a nice aperitif. Vinified in used 500-hL oak barrels and spends at least 18 months on the lees. This is a blend of 50% Pinot Blanc, 25% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay.
CREMANT EMOTION. Note: 92 Ian D'Agata :
"Bright golden-tinged straw. Complex aromas of apple, pear, yeasty bread and yellow flowers. Then rich and broad but with very good balance and size to the orchard and stone fruit flavors. Finishes long and clean, with a strong mineral bent. This serious bubbly will make a heavenly pairing with white meat and complex vegetable dishes. A blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir that spent 30 months on the lees."
CREMANT BRUT ROSE . Note: 91 Ian D'Agata :
"Bright, very pale pink. Delicate aromas and flavors of small red berries, candied rhubarb and herbs. Starts dry and herbal, then sweeter and fruitier in the middle. Finishes long with a spicy kick. Made with 100% Pinot Noir that macerated on the skins directly in the press for about four hours, so very little color was leached out, explaining the wine’s onion-peel color. More serious and complex than some past excessively fruity and candied versions of this bubbly; it clearly resembles Champagne more than many other Alsace crémants do."
2016 Riesling "Les Natures". Note 90 Ian d'Agata :
"Bright straw. Aromas and flavors of yellow plums and white pepper are complemented by more luscious notes of lemon curd. Very fresh and clean, with a classically dry (2 g/L residual sugar) finish that is extended by laser-like acidity (7.2 g/L total acidity). Made from grapes grown in four plots located in the area of Ammerschwihr plus one plot in the Letzenberg (as the latter gives a wine that differs greatly from the other Letzenberg wines, Adam chooses to blend it in here to add a little more freshness to the finished wine). Lovely, very good entry-level wine that will also age well."
2016 L'Auxerrois Vieilles Vignes. Note 90 Ian d'Agata :
"Pale golden-tinged straw-yellow. Fresh aromas and flavors of white orchard fruit, sweet spices and honey are complicated by a delicate minty note. Clean and bright, offering an enticing sweet and salty quality on the long close. The above-average freshness of this Auxerrois wine is the result of the combination of purposely harvesting the grapes early (right after the crémants and the 2016 season (which was not especially hot). Made from one plot of vines planted in the 1950s that are now Demeter-certified biodynamically farmed. Adam told me this is always the slowest wine to ferment at the estate, often over 6-8 months, and he believes this adds complexity and depth to the wine’s flavors and aromas."
2015 Riesling Wineck Schlossberg. Note 91 Ian d'Agata :
"Pale straw-yellow. Hints of moss, licorice and fresh citrus on the nose. Then richer and rounder than the steely nose suggests, offering bitter orange and lemon cream flavors lifted by hints of licorice and minerals. The long, juicy finish shows a hint of balsamic oils. This finishes classically dry (8.1 g/L total acidity and 4 g/L residual sugar) and very vertical, but will be approachable sooner and most likely prove less ageworthy than the 2016."
2015 Riesling grand cru Kaefferkopf. Note 93 Ian d'Agata :
"Bright straw-green. Apple, pear and minerals are lifted by lemon verbena and jasmine on the nose and in the mouth. Richer and riper than the 2016 but still very lively and taut. Finishes long and savory with persistent apple and baked pear notes. The Kaefferkopf 2015 is a potential knockout."
