If you looked at a map of France’s great wine regions, you might not even see Alsace on first glance. But this sliver of a region is one of France’s most exciting, thanks for a superb array of soils and microclimates and rigorous dedication to organic and biodynamic farming. Every year I visit to taste Alsace’s best wines, and this year was no different. My team and I scored more than 500 wines at Villa René Lalique, the Michelin-starred restaurant close to the factory where I make my 100-points glasses.
Most of what we tasted was from 2015, though we dipped into older vintages as well. The takeaway is that 2015 is an excellent vintage, from pinot gris to pinot noir to riesling. Whites and reds from the warm and sunny vintage were phenomenal, though some producers complained about high alcohol levels. “2015 was an easy vintage. The only problem was the severity of the drought and the heat. We only had rain in June, and it was so hot in early July. The rain in August really helped the vines,” said Olivier Humbrecht. “September was warm and dry. You didn’t want to go too late. Alcohol progressed so quickly. I remember in one week in September potential alcohols grew two degrees.”
Tasting preparation at Villa René Lalique
Some are comparing 2015 to 1990, which was also very warm, but I think the 2015s have much more character. They’re not big or luscious. They’re dry and beautifully balanced, and top producers dialed back the alcohol and tuned in to the freshness.
During the course of my tasting, I also saw that 2014 may have been a tougher vintage than I initially thought. I thought producers had overcome the rampant problems with Drosophila suzukii, an Asian fruit fly, but as we tasted more of them this time around, they seem to be evolving faster than they should. If you got any, drink them. Don’t wait.
But the 2015s! There’s much to celebrate and in my Top 100, I’m proud to highlight not just the region’s iconic producers, but also some newer vignerons who are making a name for themselves.
The Top 10 wines represent the best of Alsace right now. Probably the most exciting thing for me is that six of the 10 are made from biodynamically grown grapes. Alsace is truly dedicated to the environment, and I applaud their rigorous efforts.
Wines from Domaine Ostertag
Riesling is rocking, too. Our Alsace Wine of the Year is one of the best dry rieslings we’ve ever tasted: Domaine Ostertag Riesling Alsace Grand Cru Muenchberg 2015. This grand cru riesling shows all the power and freshness anyone could want. It’s complex and subtle and draws you in with every sip. Simply put, the Ostertags are geniuses.
My No. 2 bottle is a nod to Alsace’s great sweet wines. The Mure Riesling Alsace Grand Cru Vorbourg Clos St Landelin Selection de Grains Nobles is remarkably balanced, botrytis-driven white. It takes an extraordinary amount of work and precision to pull this off. Leave it to the Murés to show us how it’s done.
Olivier Humbrecht produced a formidable pinot gris at No. 3 with the Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Alsace Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2015. It shows how great pinot gris was in 2015 and underlines how the dry style is giving form and focus to this great grape in Alsace.
No.3: Domaine Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Alsace Grand Cru Rangen de Thann Clos Saint Urbain 2015.
The Mann family are equally formidable with two pinot noirs in our Top 10 – No. 4 Albert Mann Pinot Noir Alsace Grand H and No. 7 Albert Mann Pinot Noir Alsace Les Saintes Claires. Yes, Alsace excels at red wine, too, and we believe that this region will become the new Burgundy with a global following for its unique and racy pinot noirs underlying the fabulous vineyards of the region.
Even beyond these Top 100, there are dozens and dozens of superb wines coming out of Alsace right now. My hope is that you enjoy exploring list as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Congratulations to all of Alsace. —James Suckling, Editor
