Over the centuries Alsace has been tossed between French and German ownership. Today, it is on the French side, producing exquisitely intense, superbly balanced, long flavoured wines. This Gewürz from Bott-Geyl is an absolute stunner.
Dog Point is one of the top performers of New Zealand's Marlborough. It's the creation of Cloudy Bay’s former viticulturalist and winemaker, Ivan Sutherland and James Healy. Their sumptuous Chardonnay is layered with toasty complexity and ripe fruit.
The Pfalz has a long tradition of making dry wine and Riesling Gutswein from Gabel is a classic. It’s from the Fork family’s small, 350-year-old estate, wedded to brilliant, modern wines. From high vineyards, this is crisp, dry, lime-zipped Riesling.
If you're not yet a Riesling convert, now is the time to try. It’s renowned in Alsace, Austria and the New World, but many of its finest wines come from Germany. With a slightly warmer climate in recent years, Germany has mastered a crisp, dry style too. The Pfalz, just over the border from Alsace, produces a rich and ripe wines, still pinpoint crisp. Try this dazzling 2019 – a vintage that was almost too perfect to be real. The wine's from Gabel estate, which has been making fine wines since 1655. Wolfgang and Rianne Gabel are the current owners, entrusting winemaking to their son, Oliver. Deep limestone soils impart a unique mineral character and delicacy to this zingy Riesling. A delight solo or with fish, noodle dishes or white meats.
Delicious bright peach and apple fruit in this characterful white from terrific, critic-rated winemaker, Jeff Carrel. Using Chardonnay from cooler vineyards in the Languedoc, he gets a lovely zing of freshness to balance the creamy ripe fruit.
Treat yourself to one of the world’s finest Pinot Gris. It may not be labelled 'Grand Cru', like many of the Zind Humbrecht wines are, but it tastes like one. Tiny yields, exemplary volcanic soils ensure an opulent, lusciously layered 94 point white.
Decanter has named Domaine Zind Humbrecht as one of France’s Top 10 wineries: “Does winemaking genius exist? If it does then Olivier Humbrecht MW must be in the frame.” Wine Advocate called the wines “absolutely impressive in their depth”. The family have been Alsace growers since 1620 and started making their wines in 1947. They now have 40 hectares, all tended biodynamically – by 22 full-time staff – to express as perfectly as possible the grape and its limestone ‘calcaire’ terroir. “Pinot Gris is a grape which has strong ties to the earth. It needs strong terroir and low yields to assert its character,” says Olivier Humbrecht. The wine's rich, creamy, exotic fruit shows how he got the balance just right. Perfect with sea bass or crab.
Presenting w/o - winemaker Dino Taschetta's ambitious project. A wine made without (w/o) compromise. A delicious bright, peachy white, mindfully made. Packaged in 100% recycled glass, it’s aromatic with ripe stone fruits, pear and herbal notes.
We first met Dino when he began restoring his grandfather's earthquake-struck vineyard, high in the Sicilian hills. You loved the wine it made - Tenuta Fenice. Not one to sit back, he's started another ambitious new project called w/o - wine made without compromise. He first made a Frappato red, then a crisp rosato and now this rare white. It's made from Lucido (the best clone of the Catarratto grape), all grown organically thanks to Sicily's warm, dry climate and Dino's diligence. It's bottled in 100% recycled glass too, known as 'wild' glass, a UK first. You may notice a little variation in colour, perhaps a few tiny bubbles. All part of the charm, as is the wine's herbal-scented peach fruit. Chill and sip with seafood and lighter dishes.
