2008 Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg, Maurice Heckmann

Some of us do not appreciate high levels of alcohol in wines. Hence, we look for wines from
sensible producers that have terroirs on cold, calcareous soils with great exposition. One such terroir is Grand Cru Engelberg in the north, 20 km due west of Strasbourg. Here producers such as Heckmann, Pfister, Bechtold, Schmitt and Loew produce wines with a low-key and food-friendly balance, freshness and complexity.

2008 Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg by Maurice Heckmann in Dahlenheim is deep yellow. The aroma is developed and generous with lemon, mango, toast, white raisins and the pleasant notes of petrol that one often finds in this wine. The taste is medium bodied and dry with succulent fruit and a superior, zesty and mineral adicity that adds great qualities to this honest wine. Price: €9.

2005 Gewurztraminer Silberberg, Bechtold

Jean-Marie Bechtold is a strong personality with a strong and genuine commitment to the environment. In and around Dahlheim in northern Alsace he makes biodynamic wines in a very personal style. His hallmark is a special softness that brings out the subtle aspects of his grape material from the half dozen vineyards he carefully manages.

2005 Riesling Silberberg has a full and developed aroma with a spicy character of a genuine Indian curry, a hint of smoky rubber and ripe red apples. The taste is supple and caressing with nicely integrated sweetness within a well-balanced, almost medium-bodied taste.
Price: € 8.50.

2006 Pinot Blanc, Pfister

It is becoming increasingly common to use oak barrels for élevage of Pinot Blanc. This wine from Pfister in Dahlenheim is a clear suspect; the aroma is developed and nutty with great complexity. To get the oak treatment confirmed I checked with Mélanie Pfister who replied:

2006 Pinot Blanc has been produced in stainless steel tanks, as all the other wines on the domain. The wine has spent time on its yeast deposit, which contributes to the rich palate. Pinot Blanc is flowery as young, but with time they develop nuttiness (which may bring to mind oak barrels) as well as an element of minerality." A very good wine that could have been mistaken for a Meursault, had it not been for the minerality in the aftertaste. Price: €8.

2003 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg, Bechtold

The Grand Cru Engelberg finds itself on the summit of Mont Scharrach, located in the region called Couronne d'Or, the vineyard area west of Strasbourg. Engelberg rests on calcareous soil, which provides potent wine with excellent character and structure, regardless of variety. Here, Jean-Marie Bechtold crafts delicious wines in a truly personal style in which he achieves a brilliant combination of restrained, velvety softness, dryness and elegance.

2003 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg has an aroma of coffee, dark berries, liquorice, fennel and a slightly hot, exciting tone of Grand Marnier. The taste is velvety, juicy, medium full-bodied and quite dry with amazingly vivid fruit acidity in the aftertaste. A remarkably fresh 2003. Price: €10.50.

2005 Muscat Les 3 Demoiselles, Pfister

Muscat is grown on less then 3% of the viticultural area, and this dry wine does not get the attention it deserves. While the grower struggle with inconsistent flowerings and yields, the average visitor to the area skips Muscat when visiting the producers. However, those of us that acknowledges that Alsace Muscat is a serious, unique, versatile, seductive, and interesting wine with loads of quality and personality, we just can't get enough of it.

2005 Muscat Les 3 Demoiselles has multi dimensional aroma where crushed grapes, kirsch, Cointreau, toffee and nuts. The taste has great definition, firmness, structure and firm acidity, while a moderate (12.5%) of alcohol is perfectly embedded. A serious wine made by a rising star. Price: €10.

2006 Cuvée 8, Domaine Pfister

In Alsace there are several young and skilled female winemakers, e.g. Agathe Bursin (already legendary), Eliane Ginglinger (top-notch Riesling Grand Cru Goldert) and Mélanie Pfister, born in 1981. Following internships at Zind-Humbrecht, Méo-Camuzet and Cheval Blanc, Mélanie has taken on the challange to transfer the concept of making serious multi-variety wines from Bordeaux to Alsace.

2006 Cuvée 8 includes Gewurztraminer that brings volume and spicyness to the nose, Pinot Gris that contributed with body, complexity and champignons (at least in 2006), Muscat that gives elegance, and Riesling that stands for freshness and the tartric acid that guarantees structure and backbone. Well made and perfect on the table! Price: € 10.

2003 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg, Jean-Marie Bechtold

The summer of 2003 was extremely hot and the acidity levels fell drastically already in September, leaving many Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris without sufficient grip to carry the residual sugar. But there are exceptions!

2003 Pinot Gris Grand Cru Engelberg by Jean-Marie Bechtold has an aroma of rhubarb and slightly burned fruit-sauce. The taste is like velvet, quite full with figs and toffée, supported by a backbone of lovely acidity, typical for the terroir, and a trace of bitterness. Great craftsmen-ship from Dahlenheim! Price: €10.50.

1999 Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg, Maurice Heckman

Dahlenheim, located 20 km due west of Strasbourg, hosts at least three very good producers, all making classic dry wines for the table. The Grand Cru, Engelberg, gives wines that resemble those from Altenberg de Bergheim; floral, smooth wines with an acidity that develops on the palate.

1999 Riesling Grand Cru Engelberg is mature and floral on the nose, with Sevilla oranges and terpentine. The taste is medium bodied and dry without being lean. The finish offers a taste of fresh grapes, some melon and a trace of bitterness. Price: € 8.