2023 Weinbach - Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Furstentum MAG (1.5L)

Domaine Weinbach was founded in 1612 by Capuchin monks on vineyard land near Kaysersberg already tended since the 9th century, and passed in 1898 to the Faller brothers, who left it to their son and nephew Théo. Théo Faller spent his life championing quality and recognition for Alsace wine, and after his death in 1979 his wife Colette and daughters Catherine and Laurence continued that work. Catherine Faller has directed the estate since 2016 with her sons Eddy and Théo, farming all thirty-eight hectares under organic and biodynamic methods and hand-harvesting every parcel with an eye toward precision over volume.

Furstentum lies in the northern reaches of Alsace, between Kientzheim and Sigolsheim, a site whose quality was noted as far back as 1330 in the vineyard records of the Basel Convent. The vines sit around 400 meters up on limestone and marl soils, shallow and stony, with a south to southwest exposure that captures ample sun while cool alpine air at night keeps the fruit fresh. The Gewurztraminer is hand-picked, fermented slowly, and aged in large old oak foudres, a method that lets the site's structure come through clearly.

This is an intensely aromatic Gewurztraminer, full of candied citrus and a Turkish delight richness that builds in the glass, wrapped in a succulent, almost velvety texture. The finish is long and warmly spiced without tipping into heaviness. Try it with roast goose, quail, or a well-aged blue cheese.