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Alsace - a dilemma?
Article Posted: Tuesday July 31st
Article last updated on: Saturday September 29th
Alsace wines seem to be suffering from an identity
crisis, and it has to be said that they can easily confuse the average
punter.
Problem one -those tall and rather elegant green flutes -
more than a bit reminiscent of a German Mosel.
Problem two -the label -a jagged scrawl of convulsed gothic script suggestive of German
origin backed up by, yes you guessed it, mainly Germanic grape
varieties.
Problem three -uncork the bottle and you will find a
wine which is indisputably French in style.
We need to go
back a century or so to the Franco-Prussian War to
understand this contradiction. Alsace in the North-East of
France is in a dangerously strategic position, overlooking
Germany on the other side of the Rhine. After falling into enemy
hands, Alsace was condemned to produce inferior wines so as not to
compete with Germany. For a brief spell between the wars, a start was made
on replanting the noble varieties, only to be dashed again as Hitler's
forces reclaimed the region. When it returned to French rule after the Second
World War, only the so-called noble grapes were authorised to be
planted, but inevitably some traditions lived on.
Soil and micro-climate
It's no wonder the Germans
were afraid of the competition, for Alsace, with its long warm
autumns has near-perfect
conditions for wine making. You would expect it to
have a northern continental climate similar to that of Champagne but for
the Vosges mountains which shelter the vines from both wind and
rain. It's not just the micro-climate but the variety of soil which
enables Alsace to produce some of the best white wines in
France. (There really isn't enough sun for good red, in spite of
what some Alsatians will tell you).
The noble varieties
Riesling, the King of Alsace with its steely clarity, fares best on the
granitic east facing slopes of the Haut-Rhin. Gewurztraminer
likes alluvial clay, while Sylvaner will put up with the loam
soil of the valley or Bas Rhin. If reliably familiar Riesling
is the top toff among the four noble grape varieties grown in
Alsace (the others are Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Muscat) then
the Gewurztraminer has to be the notorious celebrity of the region.
Not only is the name pretty unwieldy, but until recently the
wine itself was often avoided as an unknown quantity...too foreign and
aromatic to match with food, so let's pay safe and buy Chardonnay.
The Turckheim co-op has done much to make it more accessible in
the high street at reasonable prices (Threshers, Wine Rack and
The Wine Business).
Co-operatives are an important phenomenon in Alsace
and came about because most vignerons own handkerchief size
vineyards, planted with several varieties producing insufficient
quantities of grapes to make wine independently.
Gewurztramminer is a love me or hate me grape. Its pinkish skin
gives it a rich yellow colour even when young, but it's the
pungently spicy nose which can engender great affection or cause
equal offence. For a good co-op wine try Gewurztramminer
d'Alsace Cuvee 1993 Beblenheim, stg3.49 for a half bottle from
Waitrose. Its orange nutmeg nose is backed up with juicy
flavours packed with cloves and cinnamon and a smooth honeyed
finish. For something a little less overt, how about a Waitrose
Gewurztraminer AC d'Alsace 1993 at stg5.75 from the Beblenheim
co-op again. Its lighter more perfumed nose and muted spice and
creamily vanilla palate would be a good introduction to the
peculiar character of the grape.
Hot cross bun wine
The vanilla flavours do not come from oak. Alsatians dance to the tune of
'the less done the better.' If you're a Gewurztraminer convert already,
you will appreciate René Muré 1993 Cote de Rouffach (available from
Berkmann Wine Cellars at stg66.48 per case ex-Vat, duty paid). This is a
no nonsense Gewurz attack - powerfully spicy on the nose. With a bit more
bottle age the aroma should develop into a more honeyed bouquet - and the
palate... imagine warm hot cross buns dripping with melted butter and
spiked with a saving edge of bitter orange. It's broad and mouth-filling
with a finish that's long and powerful - not one for a delicate stir fry
but perhaps a rich Quiche Lorraine.
In Alsace, real men eat quiche, drink
Gewurztraminer... so don't be put off by sceptics who say
Gewurztraminer is difficult to match with food. Unlike the
Germans who traditionally drank beer with food and saved the
wine till afterwards, Alsatian food and wine have developed
together in partnership. The pronounced spicy aroma and palate
make Gewurztraminer an ideal partner for strong foods - smoked
fish and mature cheeses. If you think about it, Alsatian cusine
is not so different from our own traditional dishes, plenty of
game, casseroles, pastry encased dishes, and sausages a
perennial favourite of both nations. You could even experiment
with a curry. Thai and other oriental food finds a common link
with the fragrance and spice of lighter Gewurztraminer.
Lack of acidity is the achilles heel of Gewurztraminer. When low
acidity is pitched against gutsy high alcohol, some wines seem
sluggish and flabby. Tokay Pinot Gris (no relation to the
Hungarian grape) is similar to Gewurztraminer, but differing in
its high acidity. It's also less spicy and has a distinct
oiliness. Schoffit Tokay Pinot Gris 1993, Cuvee Caroline, is a
typically robust Alsace wine probably best drunk with gutsy
food. Its fruity aroma, which has just a whif of spice, would go
well with spicy sausages or a rustic cheesy dish. The delicate
spice is carried through on the palate. It's medium bodied,
creamy with hints of apricots and slightly raisiny. (Oddbins
stg8.99)
Alsace, pioneers of varietal wine marketing
One of the things I like about Alsatian wine makers is
that unlike many of their French compatriots they are nice and
upfront about what's in the bottle, with none of this cliquish,
'in the know' nonsense. If it's Riesling, then it's written
large, and, what's more, it means 100% Riesling without a dash
of vigneron's seasoning. (The term Edelzwicher, which is seen occasionally
on labels, signifies a blend and which includes the baser Sylvaner,
Chasselas and Pinot Blanc grapes).
Classic Riesling at its best
Riesling lovers can follow their
favourite grape from the slopes of the Rhinegau to Alsace, to find some of
its driest incarnations. Zind Humbrecht is a
Domaine with a good reputation. Their 1992 Riesling is an elegant wine with a
delicate fruity aroma. It tastes of ripe fruit balanced with a
mouth-watering acidity like freshly squeezed lime juice and slight
pettilance. For a wine with good structure and some finesse, it's
excellent value at stg7.29 from Wine Rack.
See also Clifford Mould's tasting notes on Zind Humbrecht
A good Riesling from one of the fifty
Grand Cru vineyards should show signs of terroir, resulting from
the particular combination of a cool climate and granite soil
planted with Riesling - similar conditions to those found in the
Rhine. The 1990 Riesling Grand Cru Ollwiller is a good buy at
stg7.99 from Wine Rack. It's a Grand Cru vineyard but the wine is
produced by a co-op, so hasn't the cache or price attached to
it, as say a Rolly-Gassmann. The Ollwiller is bone dry on the
nose and palate and a bit green. The kerosine, fruit, and the
minerally qualities are all there. It has potential but needs
more bottle age. Buy it and put it down. For a reasonable
Riesling which is drinking try the René Muré, 1993 Cote de
Rouffach. Its racy, herbaceous nose gives way to a suprisingly
friuty palate of apples and pears with a steeliness about it.
In comparison with Gewurztraminer, Riesling will always have that
mouth-watering acidity, and being dry it is a perfect accompaniment
to food. Give it a whirl with seafood instead of the too
predictable Sancerre or try it with white meat. The René Muré
Clos Saint Landelin 1993 is wonderful. The palate is rounder,
well balanced and more floral than the Cote de Rouffach with a
smoothness reminiscent of brazil nuts. (Both are available from
Berkmann Wine Cellars. The Cote de Rouffach at stg63.84 a case.
The Clos Saint Landelin is only available ex-cellar.)
Muscle in on Muscat
For a pre-dinner drink you could plump for a dry Muscat. I feel Muscat
ought to get a look in, as one of the big four noble varieties.
Arguably it's best as a late harvest or botrytised wine but try
Schlumberger 1991 at stg7.99 from Wine Rack. It is absolutely
classic with a pronounced grapey nose and palate, and a slight
pettliance like a Muscadet. An alternative aperitif could be
Cremant d'Alsace, a delicate sparkling wine from the Pinot Blanc
grape known locally as Clevner. This rather shadowy grape, which
makes an appropriately neutral base for sparkling wine, is on
the increase in Alsace. It can also be made into a light fruity
still wine.
Waitrose Pinot Blanc at stg4.49 is a pale, crisp dry
wine with a faintly citrus-like nose. It's easy picnic drinking
with or without food but make sure it's well chilled. In
principle all wines from Alsace are dry, but in a long warm
autumn the vigeron, growing one of the four noble varieties,
might let the grapes continue ripening and make a Vendange
Tardive (late picked). This would be dry or medium sweet. In an exceptional
vintage he might produce a Selection des Grains Nobles, a luscious
dessert wine from the concentrated must of selected botrytised
grapes. Due to the nature of the wine it is made in very small
quantities and the price reflects this at around stg60 a bottle! It is a
rich and mellow wine which gives the sensation of eating dried
friuts. Selection des Grains Nobles Frederick Emile Cuvee from
Trimbach is available from Oddbins Fine Wine Shop for stg56.99.
Alsace wines generally are not at the cutting edge of the price
scale, although the last example should be treated as an
exception. As in the Rhine and Mosel, slopes mean more labour
intensive and costly production. The customer could justly argue
that Alsace produces wines which are unfamiliar, at prices that
don't seem competitive, in bottles which give the wrong
impression and with labels they can't decipher.
The Alsatians need to help themselves. There seems to be some
move to modify labels. The Alsace range from Waitrose is a good
example and they have added descriptive back labels - a great
idea to get you started. For the initiated of course, no such
persuasion is needed. They already appreciate what fine wine
Alsace has to offer, although I'm sure they'd agree that a good
grasp of Gothic script is undoubtedly useful.
Berkmann Wine Cellars, 12 Brewery road, London N7
Tel: 0171 609 4711
The Wine Business, Unit 2, 15 Lots Road, London SW10 OFQ Tel:
0171 351 6856. Turckheim Pinot Blanc stg5.04; Tokay Pinot Gris
stg5.88; Gewurztraminer stg5.99. Wine Rack usually have a
reasonably comprehensive selection of Alsace wines.
La Vigneronne, 105 Old Brompton road, London SW7 3LE.
Tel: 0171 589 6113. They have examples of both Riesling Vendange
Tardive, Riesling Selection des Grains Nobles from Hugel
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