Country: | France |
Region: | Alsace |
Winery: | Wolfberger |
Grape Type: | Riesling |
Vintage: | 2013 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Wolfberger Alsace Riesling is 100 percent Riesling.
Riesling is the most popular grape variety in Alsace. Racy yet slightly fruity, Wolfberger Riesling is a subtle fine wine of citrus and mineral aromas, good acidity and freshness. It has been known for being the perfect "food wine" - great with traditional Alsatian dishes such as sauerkraut, but also, thanks to their vivacity, with fish and shellfish.
A very slow-growing variety, Riesling ripens with chilly nights. The leaves are round and thick with sharp teeth.
The berries – small, green or yellow, with thick skin – grow on a short-stemmed, cylindrical, compact cluster.
The Reisling grows best in soil that isn’t too rich, with a preference for light terroirs with lots of sunshine.
After the harvest, the grapes are put into horizontal pneumatic presses where the juice is slowly extracted. After crushing the grapes, the juice (actually the must, which includes the skins, stems and seeds) is stored in different vats, then it is carefully clarified.
Fermenting in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for 3-4 weeks.
Racking. Fining (3-4 months). Filtration and stabilization, then aging in the bottle.
Excellent with grilled fish or cooked in a sauce, and shellfish.
Wolfberger Alsace Grand Cru Riesling Rangen de Thann is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Mineral, spicy, minty with some eucalyptus notes, tropical fruits, grapefruit. Balanced and exotic in the finish, with long lasting flavors.
The Rangen Grand Cru is located in Thann, deep in the south of Alsace. Its particular soil is made of volcano-clastic rocks that drink up the heat of the day and send it back out again at night. The composition of the soil allows the roots of the vines to drink deeply from the mineral-rich sub-soil. Its southern exposure has the advantage of refreshing, drying winds in case of dampness. The high slopes are quite steep, reaching 68% in some places, requiring that the harvest be done by abseiling or roping down. Perfect for aging, these wines will reveal even more qualities after several years in the cellar.
Pair with Serve with fish, seafood, sushi, sashimi, goat cheese, vegetarian food.
Review:
"Aromas shimmy out of the glass. An enticing haze of petrol is lifted by lime and grapefruit zest, as well as pineapple. The texture of this wind is smooth and heavy, but the acidity and citrus notes bring freshness and light. A long finish carries just a hint of menthol. - LAYLA SCHLACK"
- Wine Enthusiast (November 2021), 93 pts
Wolfberger Alsace Grand Cru Riesling Rangen de Thann is made from 100 percent Riesling.
Mineral, spicy, minty with some eucalyptus notes, tropical fruits, grapefruit. Balanced and exotic in the finish, with long lasting flavors.
The Rangen Grand Cru is located in Thann, deep in the south of Alsace. Its particular soil is made of volcano-clastic rocks that drink up the heat of the day and send it back out again at night. The composition of the soil allows the roots of the vines to drink deeply from the mineral-rich sub-soil. Its southern exposure has the advantage of refreshing, drying winds in case of dampness. The high slopes are quite steep, reaching 68% in some places, requiring that the harvest be done by abseiling or roping down. Perfect for aging, these wines will reveal even more qualities after several years in the cellar.
Pair with Serve with fish, seafood, sushi, sashimi, goat cheese, vegetarian food.
Wolfberger Alsace Edelzwicker is made from 40 % Pinot Blanc, 30% Riesling, 15% Gewurztraminer and 15 % Muscat
Edelzwicker has a nose of grilled almonds and walnuts, with a light floral hint following. The first sip shows its true character: fresh and lemony with vegetal, herbaceous flavor. It is round and easy drinking, not overpowering and finishes clean.
Each grape variety is harvested individually in early or mid-October on the most suitable date for each vineyard.
It is a good companion for food without ever dominating it. In Alsace it is served by the glass or in large jugs to partner regional specialties. In general Edelzwicker goes well with fresh salads, cold or warm starters, but also with oysters, mussels and seafood. It should always be served chilled, around 10 ° C.
Wolfberger Alsace Gewurztraminer is made from 100 percent Gewurztraminer
Very aromatic, with rose petal, peach and honeysuckle aromas. Full bodied, bright, zesty and crisp, this wine is extravagant and extroverted.
This wine has been awarded with silver and gold medal on a regular basis for the last decade.
Wolfberger Alsace Grand Cru Hengst Gewurztraminer is made from 100 percent Grand Cru Gewurztraminer.
Hengst means stallion in alsatian.
Floral nose, yellow fruits, sweet spices. The mouth is ample with the same aromatic.
Tangential filtration before bottling.Vinification in stainless steel tanks at 16°C then aging on fine lees until spring of the following year.
Full-bodied cheese (munster, époisses), curry, dessert with fresh fruit
Wolfberger Alsace Riesling 2013 is 100 percent Riesling.
Most popular wine in Alsace. Citrus and mineral aromas, good acidity.
Excellent with grilled fish or cooked in a sauce, and shellfish.
The Wolfberger Estate
Wolfberger is a union of producers located in Eguisheim, south of Colmar. The city was also the home of Pope Leo IX, the Reformer (Pope from 1048 – 1054 A.D.). The winery was founded in 1902 when a group of wine-growers in Eguisheim decided to join forces to create one of the first cooperatives in Alsace. The cave counts 800 members today. Wolfberger combines tradition and constant innovation to elaborate high quality wines and preserve their typicity.
The resident oenologist at Wolfberger is Bertrand Praz. A young but extremely capable winemaker, he learned his craft at the famous Dijon wine school and from working at the Mumm Champagne House. He has taken huge strides in raising the quality level here. They also take their evaluative wine tasting very seriously and have a highly efficient set-up for tasters. The amphitheatre style classroom has individual wine-tasting desks each with light, spit bowl and automatic water faucet.
"This huge cooperative with more than 800 members makes charming crémant sparklers and clean varietals at a bargain price." - Anthony Dias Blue's Pocket Guide to Wine 2006
"An Alsatian cooperative located just south of the town of Colmar, these are tasty, fairly priced, dry white wines from a region that could use some help." - Wine Advocate (Aug. 2010)
Wolfberger is the rare example, in the wine world, of bigger actually being better.
The Wolfberger Vineyard
With 1300 hectares (3,211 acres), 500 hectares of which are in and around Eguisheim, there is a lot of raw material for a specialty importer to choose from. Pinot Blanc has been known in Alsace since the 16th century. Today it covers 22% of the vineyards and is the second most important variety after Riesling. It succeeds well in most soils and enjoys the dry microclimate of the area. The grapes are gathered in vineyards situated above Eguisheim and in surrounding villages. Rangen is the most southerly vineyard in Alsace and belongs to the towns of Thann and Vieux-Thann. This mountainside vineyard ranges from 340 to 470 m in altitude, and its slopes are extremely steep (up to 85%), with dark, stony soil, where harvesting resembles mountain climbing because the grape-pickers work from top to bottom, secured with harnesses and ropes. The grapes are brought down on sledges. The river Thur which flows at its base helps to preserve it from spring frosts. From the geological point of view, Rangen is immediately adjacent to the main Vosges fault and lies on the Devonian-Carboniferous volcano-clastic base. This gives a siliceous rock, more or less coarse sand, with acid and basic minerals, fertilizing elements for the soil: Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Fe, F, P, S, with trace elements. Rangen is the only vineyard
Matthews Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is made from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15%Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec.
The 2021 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is deep ruby in the glass with purple hues. The rich bouquet of spiced black plum and cocoa nib are balanced with aromas of fresh earth and crushed flint. Intense and opulent flavors of ripe blackberry, cedar, mocha, and black currant coat the broad and balanced palate and the ripe tannin creates a perfect frame for the lush fruit expression. Cherry cordial and cola linger on the long, quenching finish.
Review:
Precise and expressive, with handsome flavors of blackberry, bay leaf and espresso that build richness and structure toward refined tannins.
-Wine Spectator 93 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley is spicy, showing off a gentle peppery tinge and dusty rose tones that give way to dried black cherries. This is wonderfully crisp and refined, with silky textures and depths of dark red fruit propelled by juicy acidity. It tapers off long and structured, yet the tannins are quite sweet. The 2021 finishes with a pleasant crunch and a lingering licorice tinge.
-Vinous 93 Points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is based on 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. A rocking wine offering ample red and black plum-like fruit, chocolate, tobacco, and subtle violet-like aromas and flavors, I t's full-bodied and has a terrific mid-palate, velvety tannins, and a great finish.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
Thorn Clarke Shotfire Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz.
Striking deep red-purple in color. A rich, voluptuous wine with aromas of blackcurrant and mulberries accompanied by notes of smokey oak and hints of cloves. The palate is filled with dark fruits and chocolate backed up by taut tannins and lingering oak.
Story:
When the Clarke forebearers discovered gold in 1870 at the Lady Alice mine in the Barossa goldfields, so began a family dynasty intrigued by geology. A fine legacy that is reflected today in the terroir of our vineyards. The Shotfire range immortalizes the Shotfirer's hazardous job of setting and lighting the charges in the mines.
Fran shares his story on how he discovered Thorn-Clarke:
"It was October 2001 and I was searching for and sourcing for Australian wines, as it was clear that Australia was going to become the "next big thing." After tasting about 100 assorted wines, I decided I liked the style of Barossa, Shiraz best - chocolate, cherries, mint and eucalyptus - so I started focusing on Barossa growers (years later, Barossa Shiraz would develop its reputation as the Icon Shiraz for Australia).
Late on a Thursday afternoon, the carrier delivered a beat-up box of 12 bottles from Australia, 10 of which were leaking. The box was from a guy named Steve Machin, who had just left Hardy's and was beginning work with the Clarke family on setting up a possible new brand. The samples were sticky and messy, but I popped the corks anyway ..... and I was glad that I did. The wine inside tasted like Christmas - mint, eucalyptus, camphor, and evergreen aromas. Great acidity, color, flavor and length of finish - very tasty. These samples were so good and so exciting, especially compared to what I had tasted prior, that I immediately called the number on the card. I didn't realize that it was a Perth number (Western Australia) and it was actually 3:00 in the morning. It turned out I was calling the residence of David and Cheryl Clarke, where a sleepy Cheryl answered the phone. I told her, you don't know who I am, but we are going to be doing business together very soon, and lots of it! After a few months of talking, faxing (yes, faxing) and sorting out the details, I began importing their wines.
That super-star wine from the busted box of samples is the wine we know today as Shotfire Shiraz. It was originally called Stone Jar, but fortunately we came up with a better name. Many years and vintages later, I'm still glad to be importing Shotfire Shiraz and other Thorn-Clarke selections .... and I'm still glad that Cheryl Clarke woke up for that phone call."