Notes from a blind tasting Lunch – Alsace
We decided to aim at identifying varietal and age and not to worry about trying to come up with producers for this one.
2001 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile – medium amber colour, with a nose of obvious Riesling with notable apricot hints. Good length.
2002 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile – mid amber, slightly sweet spicy nose, good length and balance
2011 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile – clean fruit nose with some ripe tropical fruit and citrus elements and a bit of coconut with time. Very dry clean finish.
2003 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg – lighter colour and a very decent nose that included dried orange and nutmeg, with long clean finish.
2005 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Häuserer – clearly Riesling on palate, rich and slightly ripe, slightly off dry and good length. Mid amber colour.
2011 Dom. Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Grand Cru – clearly Riesling but with a less forward nose, crisp and very Germanic.
2018 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Théo – light in colour (especially after the brigade of ambers), nice crisp nose , well balanced
1999 Gustave Lorentz Pinot Blanc Reserve – light colour, crisp clean wine – good showing for pinot blanc.
2007 Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Furstentum Vieilles Vignes – light colour, sweet tropical fruit (lychee?) nose with hints of nutmeg, good acid and length. I had figured that this would have hints of RS and saved it to go with the cheese and it did.
2016 Marcel Deiss Huebuhl – this is a blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, sweet but crisp and great with cheese.
2000 Hugel Gewurztraminer ‘Hugel’ – tad sweet and slightly heavy seeming but worked well with cheese.
I did a mushroom and onion tart and another participant did an excellent Alsatian choucroute garni that included a smoked pork chop, foie gras sausage, duck bacon, sauerkraut and little potatoes.