93 points, Stephen Tanzer July 2007 ($79; 13.2% alcohol, 25 g/l r.s. and 8.3 grams acidity) Pale, green-tinged color. Perfumed nose combines lime blossom and powdered stone. Sweet but tangy, with a lovely light touch and noteworthy lift to the citrus and floral flavors. The botrytis element here contributes personality. Laurence Faller notes that some blockage of maturity resulted in an element of uneven ripening and has given this wine higher acidity than it would otherwise have. I find this utterly exhilarating. Finishes minerally and very long. This, too, is from 62-year-old vines on the midslope; the family began separating the richer juice from this parcel with the '98 vintage. This should be spectacular with six to eight years of additional bottle aging.
94 points, Wine Spectator May 2007 This white is floral and lightly citric, with a lacy texture and concentrated flavors of peach, honey and orange peel. Zesty acidity keeps it lively through the mouthwatering finish. Delicious. Drink now through
2020.—B.S.
About 2005 Weinbach, Domaine Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvee St Catherine l'Inedit
About the Winery Weinbach, Domaine At the foot of the majestic Schlossberg hill stands Domaine Weinbach, one of the finest estates in all of Alsace. It is run with consummate skill and total dedication by Colette Faller and her two daughters: Catherine as marketing director and Laurence as winemaker. They have the fortune to be working on some of the best soil in Frence, most notably the prestigious "Schlossberg" vineyard, the first terroir in Alsace to have received the status of Grand Cru. The Grand Cru "Furstentum," Grand Cru "Mambourg" and the adjacent "Altenbourg" vineyards make up much of the rest of the domaine's 62 acres of land, all rising above the "Clos des Capucins" vineyard, established in 1612 by the Order of Capucin monks. The grapes are hand-harvested, pressed directly as whole clusters in modern horizontal pnuematic presses. After maturation in large, ancient oak casks using only indigenous yeasts, the wine is filtered and then bottled, starting in April and finishing in mid-July. The result is an exceptional portfolio of wines noted for their balance, finesse, intensity and concentration. Famed critic Robert Parker is convinced that "Colette and her daughter Laurence...pushed Weinbach to the pinnacle of Alsace's qualitative pyramid," producing some of the most richly concentrated top-tier wines in France.
About the Wine Riesling is the prized grape of Alsace and also holds a special place at Domaine Weinbach. The domain's Rieslings have a fine and delicate fruitiness, tend to be racy, nervy, dry, and long on the palate. They can be opulent and concentrated, pairing well with various foods such as cooked or raw fish, shellfish and seafood, coq au vin, some white meat dishes, and goat cheese.
The Schlossberg site at Weinbach is home to most of its Riesling wines, excluding the Riesling Reserve and the Cuvee Theo which come from the Clos des Capucins. The rich soil of Schlossberg lends itself extremely well to Riesling, giving it a very pure fruitiness, personality, and remarkable finesse. The soils are sandy and rich in minerals, not very deep at the top of the slope but grow deeper on the descent.
Weinbach's Schlossberg Sainte Catherine L'Inedit ("the original one") is from the most beautiful plots on the Schlossberg hill. The L'Inedit is only produced when Riesling reaches an exceptional maturity, making it a very special wine. It has bursts of exotic aromas and flavors such as orange blossom, honey, peach, pineapple, and flowers. It is a full-bodied, dense wine with a nice minerality good acidity. Superb with lobster and scallops.
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