"Domaine Weinbach is an iconic domaine ... The wines are amongst the most elegant and poised in Alsace. They are paradigms of varietal expression and age effortlessly." - Anne Krebiehl MW, Vinous
Few names in Alsace occupy the same rarified air as Domaine Weinbach, and we've just received our first tranche of their latest stunning 2024 releases, headlined by a handful of 96-point grands crus. The domaine is an undisputed standard-bearer for all of Alsace's noble varietals and its most hallowed terroirs, with winemaker Eddy Leiber-Faller continuing the unmatched track record of success laid down by his family's legendary matriarchy.
The Furstentum grand cru takes center stage in the vintage, as the vineyard is sheltered in the Kaysersberg valley with ideal south-southwest exposure, a 37% incline, and ancient Jurassic limestone soils that impart its wines with vivid clarity and delineation. The terroir shines through beautifully in the noble Grand Cru Gewürztraminer's "bright freshness, almost of lightness and poetic florality." The combination of dazzling, heady aromatics, incredibly expressive, deep flavors, and impeccably balanced residual sugars all point to a potential vintage best representation of the varietal. The "aromatic, spiky and deliriously delicious" Grand Cru Riesling delivers much the same undeniable appeal, while the 95-point Pinot Blanc/Gris blend (The Pinots) offers a thrilling, unconventional expression of this hallowed site.
Of course, Weinbach's vineyards encompass many great terroirs, and the Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg is once again a star with "smooth, fluid, rounded ripeness" and "luminous freshness" that come together in "a triumph of this Grand Cru." Meanwhile, the Altenbourg vineyard, while not a grand cru, still excelled in 2024, producing a Gewürztraminer that's "a marvel of balance ... exquisitely contoured, really long and so persistent," and a 96-point Riesling that's "supremely elegant, slender and long."
It's no secret that 2024 was a difficult vintage all over France, and Alsace is no exception, but these 2024s from Weinbach are a testament to the excellence of these revered sites and a highly skilled winemaker. Coming from arguably the appellation's greatest estate, we shouldn't be surprised.
Top Quality Store
