Lot presentation

Pinot Gris (Tokay) Altenbourg Sélection de Grains Nobles Weinbach (Domaine) 2005

The wine

An outstanding Pinot Gris Sélection de Grains Nobles and the result of the painstaking picking of each grape which presents the beneficial fungus, botrytis cinerea, otherwise known as noble rot. The resulting wine is sublime with complex aromatic layers which reveal fig, honey, apricot and honeycomb. Its fantastic concentration does not detract from its freshness and the creamy texture is impossibly well-balanced. This is a wine to be enjoyed after several years cellaring alongside a simple dish with strong flavours, such as the regionally appropriate Munster cheese.

About the Producer Weinbach

One of the most beautiful properties in Alsace, the Weinbach vineyard covers just over 26 hectares. The Capuchin monks produced a wine from the early 17th century on the historic terroir of the Clos des Capucins (5 hectares enclosed by walls). Sold as a national asset in the French Revolution, the property was acquired in 1898 by the Faller brothers, who passed it on to their son and nephew, Théo. A major figure in French viticulture and an ardent defender of Alsace's vineyards, largely responsible for their being granted AOC status, Théo Faller died in 1979. His wife Colette and her daughters Catherine and Laurence took charge of the property and continued to build its reputation; it is now known all over the world. Located at the base of the majestic Schlossberg hill, it benefits from an exceptional position that has all of the geological and climate characteristics usually associated with Alsace's finest wines. The vineyard is tended with a deep respect for nature and with a view to expressing each terroir. The harvests are delayed until optimal ripeness; after rigorous selection the grapes are gently, progressively pressed, followed by long fermentations in old oak casks. The property produces successful generic cuvées, but really stands out for its grandes cuvées, named after members of the family, and associated with each terroir.

Detailed characteristics