90 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate February 2008 The Fallers’ 2005 Pinot Gris Cuvee Saint Catherine is smoky, spicy and obviously ottling-inflected from the tip of its nose to its long, pungent, chewy, faintly warm finish. Yet, there is admirable richness as well as purity of peach and persimmon fruit here – even the bit of heat is like that of skillfully-employed chili peppers: invigorating and transparent to the wine’s other flavors. It seems quite possible that 3-5 years in bottle will bring further complexity but it can be employed at table right away, its 14 grams of residual sugar by no means engendering significant sweetness. The dynamic trio of Fallers continues to bottle some of France’s (hardly just Alsace’s) richest and most flamboyant wines. Beginning with 2005, all of their vineyards are being biodynamically farmed. Laurence Faller finds their 2005s in general “more focused and clear” (this was especially true of Riesling) despite their often prominent botrytis component, and the 2004s richer. I suppose it goes without saying, but one has to carefully scrutinize each Weinbach label, so numerous are the cuvees. And as wonderful as is the distinctiveness exhibited by the vast majority of wines here, even a geek like yours truly could be forgiven for asking whether somewhat fewer different ottling might benefit consumers as well as journalists!
92 points, Wine Spectator May 2007 A pronounced mineral note is accented by dried apricot, grapefruit and lots of white pepper. This is a full-bodied white, with live-wire acidity and a long, zesty finish. Best from 2009 through 2016.—B.S.
About 2005 Weinbach, Domaine Pinot Gris Cuvee Sainte Catherine
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 Weinbach's Pinot Gris are full-bodied, off-dry in style with complex bouquets and beautiful roundness. They tend to be fairly racy wines with a considerable amount of spice and tannins which allow the tangy finish to linger on the palate.
Grapes for the Cuvee Sainte Catherine are normally picked late in the year (sometime around November 25th, day of Sainte Catherine) so that they can enjoy the late autumn sun. The grapes for the cuvee's Pinot Gris come from Clos des Capucins, a historical plot of land that was mentioned already in 890 C.E. when Richarde the empress gave it to the Evital Abbey, who later on handed part of it over to the Capucins monks. Located at the bottom of a slope in the hills of Keyserberg, its sandy/gravely soil provides a home for all of Domaine Weinbach's various grape varietals including Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat.
The wine is dry, full-bodied with a good acidity, and has pronounced mineral characteristics on the nose. Citrus is found in the aromas as well as as the flavors, and licorice is laced throughout. The finish is long, ending on a zesty grapefruit note. Goes well with white meats, risottos, duck, geese, etc.
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