2010 Pinot Blanc, Albert Boxler

Blanc and Auxerrois are grown on just over 20% of the area. In the statistics they are pooled, but in nature they are different. Pinot Blanc is light and tight, while auxerrois is much fuller and softer. As more and more Pinot Blanc is used for Crémant it will be increasingly difficult to find still white wines made from 100% of real Pinot Blanc.

2010 Pinot Blanc from Albert Boxler Niedermorschwihr has a dense, yellow-green color. The aroma reminds of creamy milk chocolate, almonds, ripe yellow apple, mineral and nectarine. The taste is compact, tight and stringent with lots of lovely fruit, a sandy mouthfeel and absolutely perfect balance, despite the soaring acids. Boxler makes incredibly good wines! Price: € 10.

Crémant, Albert Boxler

Sometimes, when visiting wineries, you say things that make you very popular. During a visit to the Boxler family I praised the beautiful and original label on the firms' crémant. It turned out to be a child's drawing, made by their son Louis at age six. It was their own idea to divide the drawing into separate fields, and add one  which is metallic copper colored in the same tone as the foil cap on top of the cork. Neat!

Crémant from Albert Boxler in Niedermorschwihr is from vintage 2008. The aroma is wonderfully fresh with apples, lime, minerals and a hint of sourdough bread. The flavor contains both soft, velvety fruit and crisp, focused acids that form a harmonious whole. The mousse is fine and lifts the wine to great heights. Good, usable and ridiculously cheap. Price: € 9.50.

2009 Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg Jeunes Vignes, Albert Boxler

There is a magician in Niedermorschwihr. His name is Jean Boxler, the grandson of Albert, who founded the firm. Jean Boxler wielding his wand - baguette in French - of Grand Cru Sommerberg which rises with a slope of 45 degrees near the village, like the Grand Cru Brand. Brand is an amphitheater that slopes down to Colmar. All wines, regardless of grape variety or quality level, is top class in its category.

2009 Riesling Grand Cru Sommerberg Jeunes Vignes from Albert Boxler is glistening golden yellow. The aroma is rich and ripe with apple pie and a hint of botrytis (?) which gives complexity (ethyl acetate). The taste is medium bodied, fresh and rich with good acidity, nice minerality and a hint of heat, so typical of the vintage. The finish is long and vibrant. A wine that is a bit more accessible than the firm's flagships "D", "E" and "K". Price: €17.

2007 Pinot Blanc "B", Albert Boxler

Jean Boxler in Niedermorschwihr makes Alsace's most captivating Pinot Blanc. The grapes originate from the Grand Cru Brand in neighboring Turckheim. Brand is always floral, fresh wine with a tight focus. Firmness is also a characteristic of Pinot Blanc. As well of the outstandingly talented Jean Boxler.

2007 Pinot Blanc "B" is an aromatic wine with fresh herbs, white flowers and coconut in the formidable scent. The taste is as compact as the fist of a heavyweight boxer, with layers of ripe, peachladen fruit and a brutal but mature acidity, which leads to a refreshing minerality on the finish. A great wine with huge qualities. Price: € 11.