REPORT FROM ALSACE ROCKS! IN TORONTO SEPTEMBER 2023
The Date and Time: Sept 19 1PM - 5PM
The Event: Tasting Recent Vintages of Alsatian wines
The Venue: Second Floor Events, King Street West
The Target Audience: wine media, sommeliers
The Availability/Catalogue: a QR code at the site or a PDF later in the week, with info on the wines (but no prices)
The Quote/Background: Still wines are aromatic, unoaked, dry, complex, balanced, high quality and very food-friendly. 90% of the wines in Alsace are white. Seven main grape varieties (in order of vineyard plantings): Pinot Blanc (22%), Riesling (21%), Gewurztraminer (19%), Pinot Gris (16%), Pinot Noir (11%), Sylvaner (5%) and Muscat d'Alsace (2%). Crémant d'Alsace makes up 27% of total production and is made in the traditional method from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir (all Crémant d'Alsace Rosés are 100% Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay, the latter only for Crémant production. The AOC Alsace appellation is 70% of total production, Crémant d'Alsace is 27% and AOC Grand Cru is 3% (predominately Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat d'Alsace). There were only 12 wineries attending here today which gave all of us a chance to concentrate on the few wines that were at the show. All the gewurztraminers were on one table, as were all the rieslings, the cremants, the pinot noirs, some blends and the older vintages. We had a great opportunity to compare and contrast producers. There were six tables in all.
The Wines: I did not taste all the wines
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Cave Jean Geiler Gewurztraminer Grand Cru 2020
-CAVE JEAN GEILER CRÉMANT D'ALSACE, RIESLING NV
-CAVE JEAN GEILER ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 "INSPIRATION TERROIRS"
-CAVE JEAN GEILER ALSACE GRAND CRU FLORIMONT GEWURZTRAMINER, 2020
-DOMAINE WACH ALSACE, RIESLING, 2022 "ANDLAU" not repped
-DOMAINE WACH ALSACE GRAND CRU KASTELBERG RIESLING, 2019 not repped
-DOMAINE SOHLER PHILIPPE ALSACE, RIESLING, 2022 "HEISSENBERG" not repped
-DOMAINE KIRRENBOURG ALSACE GRAND CRU HENGST GEWURZTRAMINER, 2017
-CAVE DE RIBEAUVILLÉ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "GIERSBERGER", NV
-CAVE DE RIBEAUVILLÉ ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 BIO
-CAVE DE RIBEAUVILLÉ ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2021 "COLLECTION"
-ETIENNE SIMONIS ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2021 not repped
-ETIENNE SIMONIS ALSACE GRAND CRU MARCKRAIN GEWURZTRAMINER, 2021 not repped
-WUNSCH & MANN CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "TRADITION" BIO, NV [my fave fizz]
-WUNSCH & MANN ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2022 "N°3", BIO
-DOPFF AU MOULIN CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "CUVÉE JULIEN", NV
-DOPFF AU MOULIN ALSACE GRAND CRU BRAND GEWURZTRAMINER, 2019
-ARTHUR METZ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE LIEU-DIT "SCHIEFERBERG", NV
-ARTHUR METZ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "PRESTIGE", NV
-CAVE DES VIGNERONS DE PFAFFENHEIM ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2020
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-ETIENNE SIMONIS CRÉMANT D'ALSACE EXTRA BRUT, NV not repped
-ARTHUR METZ ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 "HORIZON"
-Cave Jean Geiler Pinot Gris 2021 Bio
-Domaine Charles Frey Riesling 2022 "Granite" not repped in Ontario
-DOMAINE KIRRENBOURG ALSACE GRAND CRU SCHLOSSBERG RIESLING, 2020 BIO
-Domaine Gruss Riesling Vieilles Vignes 2022
-DOMAINE GRUSS ALSACE GRAND CRU VORBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER, 2019
-CAVE DES VIGNERONS DE PFAFFENHEIM CRÉMANT D'ALSACE EXTRA BRUT, NV
-CAVE DES VIGNERONS DE PFAFFENHEIM ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 "JUPITER"
The Food: there was a tapas station with tomato bread, ricotta ndjua on crostini, manchego on bread, chorizo and goat cheese, mussels escabeche. There was also a more traditional cheese/charcuterie platter with duck prosciutto, calabrese, truffled mortadella, Beemster cheese, Celtic blue, truffled Gouda.
The Downside: I wanted more riesling and gewurztraminer wines. Price ranges were not listed.
The Upside: there were a fair number of off-dry wines.
The Contact Person: nperez@sopexa.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88
The Date and Time: Sept 19 1PM - 5PM
The Event: Tasting Recent Vintages of Alsatian wines
The Venue: Second Floor Events, King Street West
The Target Audience: wine media, sommeliers
The Availability/Catalogue: a QR code at the site or a PDF later in the week, with info on the wines (but no prices)
The Quote/Background: Still wines are aromatic, unoaked, dry, complex, balanced, high quality and very food-friendly. 90% of the wines in Alsace are white. Seven main grape varieties (in order of vineyard plantings): Pinot Blanc (22%), Riesling (21%), Gewurztraminer (19%), Pinot Gris (16%), Pinot Noir (11%), Sylvaner (5%) and Muscat d'Alsace (2%). Crémant d'Alsace makes up 27% of total production and is made in the traditional method from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Auxerrois, Pinot Noir (all Crémant d'Alsace Rosés are 100% Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay, the latter only for Crémant production. The AOC Alsace appellation is 70% of total production, Crémant d'Alsace is 27% and AOC Grand Cru is 3% (predominately Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat d'Alsace). There were only 12 wineries attending here today which gave all of us a chance to concentrate on the few wines that were at the show. All the gewurztraminers were on one table, as were all the rieslings, the cremants, the pinot noirs, some blends and the older vintages. We had a great opportunity to compare and contrast producers. There were six tables in all.
The Wines: I did not taste all the wines
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Cave Jean Geiler Gewurztraminer Grand Cru 2020
-CAVE JEAN GEILER CRÉMANT D'ALSACE, RIESLING NV
-CAVE JEAN GEILER ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 "INSPIRATION TERROIRS"
-CAVE JEAN GEILER ALSACE GRAND CRU FLORIMONT GEWURZTRAMINER, 2020
-DOMAINE WACH ALSACE, RIESLING, 2022 "ANDLAU" not repped
-DOMAINE WACH ALSACE GRAND CRU KASTELBERG RIESLING, 2019 not repped
-DOMAINE SOHLER PHILIPPE ALSACE, RIESLING, 2022 "HEISSENBERG" not repped
-DOMAINE KIRRENBOURG ALSACE GRAND CRU HENGST GEWURZTRAMINER, 2017
-CAVE DE RIBEAUVILLÉ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "GIERSBERGER", NV
-CAVE DE RIBEAUVILLÉ ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 BIO
-CAVE DE RIBEAUVILLÉ ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2021 "COLLECTION"
-ETIENNE SIMONIS ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2021 not repped
-ETIENNE SIMONIS ALSACE GRAND CRU MARCKRAIN GEWURZTRAMINER, 2021 not repped
-WUNSCH & MANN CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "TRADITION" BIO, NV [my fave fizz]
-WUNSCH & MANN ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2022 "N°3", BIO
-DOPFF AU MOULIN CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "CUVÉE JULIEN", NV
-DOPFF AU MOULIN ALSACE GRAND CRU BRAND GEWURZTRAMINER, 2019
-ARTHUR METZ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE LIEU-DIT "SCHIEFERBERG", NV
-ARTHUR METZ CRÉMANT D'ALSACE "PRESTIGE", NV
-CAVE DES VIGNERONS DE PFAFFENHEIM ALSACE, GEWURZTRAMINER, 2020
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-ETIENNE SIMONIS CRÉMANT D'ALSACE EXTRA BRUT, NV not repped
-ARTHUR METZ ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 "HORIZON"
-Cave Jean Geiler Pinot Gris 2021 Bio
-Domaine Charles Frey Riesling 2022 "Granite" not repped in Ontario
-DOMAINE KIRRENBOURG ALSACE GRAND CRU SCHLOSSBERG RIESLING, 2020 BIO
-Domaine Gruss Riesling Vieilles Vignes 2022
-DOMAINE GRUSS ALSACE GRAND CRU VORBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER, 2019
-CAVE DES VIGNERONS DE PFAFFENHEIM CRÉMANT D'ALSACE EXTRA BRUT, NV
-CAVE DES VIGNERONS DE PFAFFENHEIM ALSACE, RIESLING, 2021 "JUPITER"
The Food: there was a tapas station with tomato bread, ricotta ndjua on crostini, manchego on bread, chorizo and goat cheese, mussels escabeche. There was also a more traditional cheese/charcuterie platter with duck prosciutto, calabrese, truffled mortadella, Beemster cheese, Celtic blue, truffled Gouda.
The Downside: I wanted more riesling and gewurztraminer wines. Price ranges were not listed.
The Upside: there were a fair number of off-dry wines.
The Contact Person: nperez@sopexa.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 88
Dean Tudor, Prof Emeritus T'karonto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) School of Journalism
Treasurer of Wine Writers' Circle of Canada http://www.deantudor.comhttp://gothicepicures.blogspot.com
https://twitter.com/gothicepicures
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