’19 Riesling & Gris from Alsace cousins Freddy et Philippe
Late 2020 saw a rush on the wines of Kientzheim cousins Freddy and Philippe Blanck – so much so that we were left with one wine: the ever popular Pinot Blanc.
A new shipment has rectified this situation, with three wines from the range that the Blancks call ‘les classiques’ – wines that express the grape variety in its purest form, seen through the prism of Alsace’s mixed-mineral soils and lovely ripening conditions. The 2019 Riesling and Pinot Gris are here and good to go, bringing that soothing Alsatian length back into these summer evenings.
2018 Paul Blanck Pinot Blanc d’Alsace $32
From soils of gravel, sand and south-facing clay and limestone. The juice is extracted with infinite care in our air-bag press. The slow, gentle pressing avoids crushing the stalks and pips. This is followed by slow, natural fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless-steel vats, generally lasting from four to 10 weeks.
The nose shows apricot, brioche and a touch of fresh lemon. On the palate it shows pleasant acidity with apricot, honeysuckle and mineral tones, then a nice long stoney finish. – Freddy Blanck
2019 Paul Blanck Riesling $36
The fruit comes from vineyards with sand and gravel soils around the village of Kientzheim.
The juice is extracted with infinite care in an air-bag press. The slow, gentle pressing avoids crushing the stalks and pips. The must starts fermenting of its own accord thanks to the natural yeast present in the juice, and the fermentation generally lasts from four to 10 weeks. It is carried out in stainless-steel vats equipped with temperature control, a medium which maximises the expression of this variety’s aromas.
Pale yellow in colour, the nose shows light floral and citrus notes. The palate has pineapple, lemon and mineral notes, as well as an evocation of sweet-scented flowers.
2019 Paul Blanck Pinot Gris $36
This wine sits in a range the Blancks call “Les Classiques”. These are easy, accessible wines made from the traditional Alsatian grape varieties. They are fruit-driven, aromatic, dry wines that give the best of themselves within the first five to seven years, if you wish to retain their primary fruit-driven personality. The screw cap closure enhances this profile and helps the wines keep both freshness and liveliness far longer. They generally come from light soils with sand and gravel as well as sandstone or clay.
Fruit for the Blanck Pinot Gris was sourced from gravel, sand and south-facing clay and limestone.