Pinot Gris, Altenbourg, Cuvée d'Or, Quintessence, SGN, 2010
It was back in 1983 that Weinbach coined the term 'Quintessence' to describe a particularly sumptuous Selection des Grains Nobles. In 2011, the Pinot Gris vines in the Altenbourg vineyard produced some truly exceptional botrytis and as a result 90% of this cuvee is made up of nobly rotted grapes. At 220 g/l this could easily be overly 'sticky' but, thanks to some high, bright and supremely vivid acidity, the result is a immensely concentrated nectar of incredible grace. Mindblowing stuff. Liquid tarte tatin, ripe apples, juicy raisins, dried apricots, strawberry jam, caramelised sugar all come together underpinned by a strong current of spiced honey. Superb!
critic reviews
The white golden colored 2010 Pinot Gris Altenbourg Quintessence de Grains Nobles Cuvee d'Or starts off highly intense, piquant and pure, so stunningly clear, stony and precise in its concentration of almost everything, i.e. cooked apricots, tarte tatin, cinnamon, salted caramel, peach chutney, orange oil, black bread and so on. On the palate this is a power station: highly concentrated, elegant, round, glycerinic, and very intense but also incredibly piquant and salty. Where does this Pinot Gris get this Riesling-like acidity from? "The Altenbourg is a great terroir for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, whereas for Riesling the acidity can be very high," says Catherine Faller, who calls this Cuvee d'Or "a monument of elegance." The finish is very long and precise, a monument indeed -- the quintessence of the Altenbourg perhaps. Black bread, dried apricots and peaches in the endless aftertaste. The name Quintessence is a creation of the Domaine and was used for the first time in the exceptional 1983 vintage. Made from individually picked, very strictly selected sometimes berry by berry botrytized grapes, these are extremely rare wines and produced in very small quantities (below 150 liters).
Bright yellow-gold. Captivating aromas of spicy apple pie, dried apricot, caramelized kumquat, marzipan and sexy botrytison the very pure, penetrating nose. Extremely fresh and clean, with harmonious acidity lifting the ripe tropical fruit, cinnamon-spiced apple andpassion fruitflavors. This massively concentratedwine manages to stay unbelievably graceful and balanced despite its huge richness. Its extremely persistent lingering flavor of baked cinnamon apple and mouthwatering acidity are unforgettable. I can best describe this wine by telling youit'svery muchlike a eating a liquid tarte tatin.Get a loadof thesenumbers: 221 g/l residual sugar, 10.6 g/l total acidity, 3.4 pH and only 9.5% alcohol.