France — wine

Alsace

France's Germanic wine region — the Marseille Crossroads Doctrine in viticulture. On the Rhine border with Germany (Baden across the river). The Vosges mountains create a dramatic rain shadow — Colmar is the driest city in France outside the Mediterranean. Wines are labelled by variety (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat) rather than by appellation — opposite of Burgundy. 51 Grand Cru sites. Vendange Tardive (VT) and Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN) are the botrytised sweet wine categories.

Year Rating Notes
2023 86 Good year. Classic Alsace typicity. Riesling mineral backbone maintained. Village wines outstanding value.
2022 89 Very good. Warm vintage. Ripe, generous Alsace wines. Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer excelling.
2021 84 Good. Cooler year. Classic mineral Riesling profile — lower alcohol, higher acid. Excellent for ageing.
2020 88 Very good. Balance of richness and mineral precision. Grand Cru Riesling especially impressive.
2019 91 Excellent. Grand Crus at extraordinary level. Zind-Humbrecht and Weinbach producing benchmark wines.
2018 88 Very good. Warm vintage produced luscious Gewürztraminer and VT Riesling. GC whites structured.
2017 92 Outstanding Alsace. Grand Cru Rieslings of extraordinary minerality. Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune legendary.