My favourite winery in the whole of Alsace is Domaine Weinbach. The old vintages look exquisite, the elite cuvées are spectacular and every wine I have tasted from there has been memorable. But there is one category of wine from this amazing producer that I rarely mention and this is remiss of me.
The so-called “straightforward” or “entry-level” wines (I prefer the term “estate” wines) are simply spectacular – not just in terms of value for money, given that they come from the greatest producer in the region, but in terms of pure expression of their individual grape varieties.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
My featured gewurz is the quintessential definition of this grape in crystalline, liquid, dreamy form. It is aromatically perfect with no traces of confection or, indeed, soapiness. The palate is lithe, pliable, glisteningly clean and the finish is crisp and lip-smacking. It is the greatest value and most accurate example of this grape that I know.
It is also a gastronome’s most exciting food and wine-matching weapon. Gone are the days of simply saying that Alsace gewurz goes with all forms of pate or, the awful catch-all term, “Asian food”.
This is a heavenly, challenging, multi-layered wine with blushingly beautiful near-tropical tones balanced by an ice cool, mid-palate brightness. It can go with anything. Weinbach’s 2018 Pinot Blanc (£18.88) and 2018 Riesling Cuvee Théo (£24.68), both sold in cases of six, are also simply breathtaking.
2018 Gewürztraminer, Domaine Weinbach, Alsace, France – £25.08, sold in cases of six, Justerini & Brooks, justerinis.com, 020-7484 6430, email:justbrooksorders@justerinis.com
Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewukes.com)
This article was originally published in MoneyWeek
-
Nepal chooses toddler as its new ‘living goddess’Under the Radar Girls between two and four are typically chosen to live inside the temple as the Kumari – until puberty strikes
-
October 5 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailoutTalking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
The rise of English sparkling wineThe Week Recommends As UK-based brands give champagne a run for its money, here’s everything you need to know about choosing the right bottle
-
Rosorange: the chic 'love child' of orange wine and roséThe Week Recommends Peachy to look at and crisp to drink, here's to the wine of the summer
-
Friendship: 'bromance' comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim RobinsonThe Week Recommends 'Lampooning and embracing' middle-aged male loneliness, this film is 'enjoyable and funny'
-
The best rosé wines to try this summerThe Week Recommends Warm weather means it's pink wine's moment in the sun
-
The jalapeño wine trend taking TikTok by stormThe Week Recommends Scatter a few chilli slices into your sauvignon blanc for a subtle and refreshing kick
-
Wine-tasting in TuscanyThe Week Recommends From biodynamic vineyards to historic cellars, the picturesque region is a wine lover's dream
-
A wine-themed tour of beautiful UruguayThe Week Recommends Secret paradise in South America boasts beautiful vineyards
-
Organic wines that won't cost the EarthThe Week Recommends From a 'zippy' muscadet to a 'dangerously drinkable' malbec
