There are three appellations d’Origine Controlees in the wine region of Alsace. Alsace Grand Cru for white wines from classified vineyards, Alsace AOC for red, white, and rose wines, and Cremant d’Alsace AOC for sparkling wine, which is the only Alsace region that is allowed to label their wines based on varietal. A separate appellation, Alsace Grand Cru, was created in 1975, and as of 2009, there were 51 lieux-dits listed. Every wine that is labeled must be produced from Riesling, Pinot Gris, Muscat, or Gewürztraminer grapes. Crémant d'Alsace is an Appellation for sparkling wines. AOC status was granted on August 24, 1976. The wines are produced with traditional methods using Pinot Blanc grapes. The sparkling wines may also contain Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir grapes. Chardonnay cannot not be used in the two other Alsace appellations. Pinot Noir grapes in the region are used for Rose Cremant d'Alsace. Cremant d'Alsace is a huge part of the wine production in Alsace, with 18% of the vineyards in this region used for this purpose. Sparkling wine in Alsace goes back to 1900, when Julien Dopff applied the champagne method to his own wines that were produced in the Alsatian region.
Wolfberger Alsace Pinot Blanc is 100 percent Pinot Blanc
This clean and crisp style of wine displays delicate peach aromas with a hint of almonds. Smooth on the palate, it is balanced, with a creamy texture and a clean finish.
Wolfberger Alsace Pinot Gris is made from 100 percent Pinot Gris.
Powerful and well structured wine. Round, rich, offering fruity aromas, toasty and spicy notes.
Excellent as an aperitif, it also pairs well with poultry, game and numerous cheeses.
Wolfberger Auxerrois is made from 100% Auxerrois
Auxerrois blanc is thought to have originated in Lorraine, rather than near Auxerre in the Yonne. Recent DNA fingerprinting suggests that it is a cross between Gouais blanc and Pinot noir, the same ancestry as Chardonnay. The name Auxerrois blanc has actually been used as a synonym for Chardonnay in the Moselle region in France, which explains why there is also a longer name (Auxerrois Blanc de Laquenexy) for the grape variety.
This pale yellow Auxerrois Pinot Blanc shows an intense nose of fresh white fruits, rhubarb and spring flowers. Easy to drink and fresh on the palate, this wine ends on a fruity and crunchiness tast.
Alcoholic fermentation at 16°C followed by a short fermentation at 18°C allowing to keep some crispiness to the wine.
Then the wine was aged on the fine lees for 6-7 months. No Oak.
No Malo-Lactic fermentation.
Right before bottling, the wine was filtered using a tangentiel filtration system.
Quiche, grilled fish, rhubarb pie, mixed salad, and also fresh sheep milk cheese.
Wolfberger Cremant d'Alsace Chardonnay NV is made with 100 percent Chardonnay.
The production of sparkling wine was already known in Alsace in the early 1900's. The Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (A.O.C.) Crémant d’Alsace began with an official decree in August 1976.
Adorned with a beautiful dress of a brilliant golden yellow with green tints characteristic of the Chardonnay grape, this creamy reveals a fine and elegant cord of foam. The nose is expressive with light notes of toasted brioche. After a frank attack, the mouth is fresh thanks to a good balance sugar-acid. The feeling of fullness is supported by elegant flavors of almond and vanilla.
Wolfberger Cremant d Alsace Rose Brut is 100 % Pinot Noir.
The wines from Alsace date back to 589 A.D., but Cremant d’Alsace has more recent beginnings, starting in 1900. Dopff au Moulin (founded in 1574) was the first to produce Cremant d’Alsace in the Method Champenoise style. Cremant d’Alsace received AOC status for sparkling wine in 1976. Two types of Cremant are produced today, resulting in about 2.5 million+ cases of Cremant d’Alsace production annually:
Wolfberger's Cremant d'Alsace Rose Brut displays a lovely delicate salmon color with active, small bubbles. Round and full-bodied, this Cremant Rose displays beautiful watermelon and strawberry aromas cascading in a smooth finish. A minimum of 15 months bottle aging before disgorging ensures ripeness.
Wolfberger Cremant Reverence IX is made from 100% Pinot Blanc.
This Crémant shows a brilliant and shining gold color. The bubbles are fine and form a persistent ring.
The complex nose presents a floral character of acacia flowers, with light tones of brioche and a roasting hint. This racy character comes from the high quality of this cuvée carefully selected and aged 30 months on lees.
The mouth is enhanced by a fine and refreshing acidity, great and persistent floral flavors and an unctuous and delicate effervescence.
This Crémant d'Alsace REVERENCE IX accompanies elegantly the aperitif, dishes with marine and iodized tones and desserts…
Pike Road Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Tasting Notes
Rich and complex, black cherry, confectionary strawberry and dusty rose waft up from the glass. An expressive palate follows with juicy black cherry and pomegranate alongside notes of tropical mango and coconut in a slightly gamey, smoky finish.
About Shea Vineyard
Shea Vineyard sits in the heart of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and is farmed by our friends Dick & Deirdre Shea. This is arguably the most famous vineyard for Oregon Pinot Noir because of the many well-known wineries that make a Single Vineyard Shea wine, including our sister brand Elk Cove Vineyards and neighbors Ken Wright, Bergstrom, Penner-Ash and others. It's worth checking out the Shea Vineyard website to learn more about this unique vineyard. Wines from Shea vineyard are earthy with a black cherry kick
Review:
This balanced wine has one of my favorite aromas of all time—the caramel and brioche-like cookie scents of a Stroopwafel cookie. These divine scents are joined by red cherries and chalkboard dust. Raspberry, dark chocolate and espresso flavors are supported by velvety tannins and slightly elevated acidity
- Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
Fefinanes Albarino de Albarino is 100 percent Albarino
Fresh fruit aromas of apricot and peach slices with notes of lemon and green apple. Pretty notes of honey and wet nutmeg, and the mouth is round, clean, and pleasant with baked apple, honey, and lemon.
This is a classic Albariño which is good young, but actually improves over two to three years and remains quite drinkable for up to five years. Owner Juan Gil comments that the wine really starts to come into its own in June/July, and he actually prefers it 18 or more months after it's made. A Fefiñanes "vertical" of three or four vintages can provide some most interesting surprises.