Alsace has had trouble with Gewurz in recent years. It has become more and more difficult to make dry versions with the warming trend in the region (or so I’m told by some producers). I lover Trimbachs version, which is dry, but too many are sweet. I suspect that the time has past for Alsace to focus more on Gewurz.
The other problem with Gewurz is that alcohol levels are higher due to climate change. Gewurz is like Zinfandel in that the brix levels in the grapes will climb quickly with any sign of heat. When I was there last January, I noticed alcohol/heat in the Gewurz’s that I tasted at Trimbach and Dirler-Cadé. Rieslings were fine.
I’ll still take Trimbach CFE over just about any dry Riesling from Austria or Germany.
Something doesn’t compute here: restaurant sommeliers are pushing orange, borderline flawed “natural” and other wierd-ass wines…and Alsatian wines are a hard sell?
And for anyone who thinks that Alsace should get out of the Riesling business, put together a tasting of Schlossbergs from Weinbach, Paul Blanck and Albert Mann
To answer your first point, there’s no pre-conceived notion in the market for those types of wines, whereas Alsace definitely triggers folks for a variety of reasons.
That said, we’ve found success with Fleith’s very well-made Sylvaner, older library-release Rieslings, and high quality Pinot Noir. It has not been easy, and we are definitely evangelizing, but Fleith does makes some really great wines with great labels at decent price points (I’ll admit they’re not the most inexpensive).
+1 all around
Popped a bottle of Trimbach’s cheaper yellow label Gewurztraminer. 2015.
It’s sweeter than I remember. Softer mouthfeel. Perfume on nose and palate. Lots of floral aromas. Some honey and pear. Golden color.